The Master's Way
by Nonny The Anon One
Summary: Twenty year old Jazz Fenton wakes up one morning to find she’s the wife of none other than Vlad Masters. How did she get into this situation? How was she going to get out of it? And more frighteningly, did she really want to? not for Vlad haters
1. Chapter 1

**After a great amount of soul searching and so on and so forth, I've decided to rework this story a little bit and resubmit it. I am actually going to have some help on this one, I'll let you know when my "Ghostwriter" of sorts makes an appearance, until then, if you liked this story at all, you can send thanks for it's salvation the way of Mo care of Me.  
**

**Summary: Twenty year old Jazz Fenton wakes up one morning to find she's the wife of none other than Vlad Masters. How did she get into this situation? How was she going to get out of it? Or is it all just a bad nightmare?**

**Disclaimer One: It's not weird, I know someone who is very sane, very normal and very happy whose husband is twenty five years older than she is. It's just weird cause it's Jazz and Vlad.  
**

**Disclaimer Two: Rated for occasional mention of adult themes – No lemons here…eww…just…eww!**

**Disclaimer Three: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the related characters. You know who does. It's not me, I own nothing, not even my sanity, which may be considered completely lost at the advent of this tale.**

The Master's Way

"My darling Jasmine," Vlad said as he touched her hand and smiled softly at her from across the breakfast table. "You look upset. Is something wrong?"

Jazz Fenton blinked her eyes and looked at the man sitting across the table from her. He was old enough to be her father. He was Danny's arch-enemy. He was also, she discovered only a matter few minutes ago, her husband of six months. No she wasn't Jasmine Fenton, she was Jasmine Masters. A horrible chill ran up her spine and she looked at Vlad with glazed eyes.

"I'm not feeling very well," she finally said as she put her hand to her aching head. Vlad narrowed his eyes as he watched her.

"I'll ring for a servant," he started to say.

"No!" Jazz said in alarm. "I'm fine I just need to lie down."

Vlad stood and offered her his hand. "Come then my darling. I'll escort you to our room."

"To our room?" Jazz almost shrieked. She began to feel dizzy with shock. She tentatively took Vlad's hand and let him lead her through the mansion, and up a flight of stairs where he stopped at a door.

"Do you want me to come lie down with you my love?" he asked gently. Jazz's eyes widened and she shook her head, but being as dizzy as she was she lost her balance. Vlad shot out his hand to balance her and she pulled away.

"I'm fine," she insisted as she put her hand on the door to steady herself. "Just go about your day. I'm just going to lie down for awhile." And figure out exactly how she came to be in this terrifying situation.

Vlad shook his head as he opened the door. He watched suspiciously as Jazz walk past him into the room. She attempted to close the door on him, but he pushed past her and into the room.

"Lie down my dear," he said soothingly. "I'll sit with you for a few moments."

"No!" Jazz said forcefully, afraid to move from the spot she was now standing in. Vlad walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulder. He smoothed his hands down her arms and kissed the side of her neck. The way he touched her bespoke of a familiarity with her person which Jazz wasn't sure her psyche was capable of dealing with.

"Tell me Jasmine," he whispered in her ear. She shivered in revulsion as the hair on the back of her neck began to stand and a chill ran across her skin. "Is your memory returning again?"

Jazz blinked and took a deep breath. Had she lost her memory? How? "My memory?" she asked.

Vlad sighed deeply. "Yes," he said in annoyance. He walked to a large bureau and dug a key from his pocket. He opened the drawer to reveal dozens of vials filled with a pink glowing liquid.

"The drug should not have begun to wear off so quickly," he told her. "But we'll remedy that soon enough." He took out one of the vials and locked the drawer.

Jazz watched in fuzzy but dawning understanding what was going on. Vlad had been drugging her. Her mouth went dry as he uncapped the vial and told her to drink. She had to think fast. She didn't want to plunge back into the strange fuzzy reality she'd been living in for the past few months.

"Darling," She finally said. "My head is aching terribly." She had to convince him that she was fine. That she didn't need to drink the horrible liquid in the vial he was handing her.

"Drink this," He said firmly. "You will feel much better."

"I'd really rather that you lay down with me," She said as she took the vial and placed it on the nightstand. "I'm just feeling a little under the weather." Vlad put his hand on her forehead as he met her gaze. She did her best to hold his eyes unwaveringly.

"You do feel a little warm," He remarked as he reached down and untied the robe she was wearing. Jazz's breath caught in her throat, luckily she was wearing what seemed to be cotton pajamas. She almost laughed, but her laughter was choked off as Vlad's lips brushed against her own. Jazz did her best to hide the shock. If she let on for one moment that she was no longer under the effects of the drug, well then there would be no chance for escape.

"Vlad," She whispered breathlessly against his lips as she put her hands on his chest. She had to find a way to get him away from her without raising suspicions. An idea finally struck her and she did her best not to smile as she closed her eyes and went limp in his arms.

"Jasmine!" Vlad said in alarm as he cradled her seemingly unconscious body in his arms. He carefully laid her on the bed then called one of his servants to bring a doctor. He continued to sit beside her, holding her hand as she remained silent and still.

Jasmine relaxed as best she could as she lay in her bed and waited for Vlad to leave. Finally a group of people entered the room and he stood, letting someone she assumed was a doctor take his place by her side. She decided that now was a perfect time to regain consciousness. She fluttered her eyes open then moaned slightly as she looked at the doctor.

"Ahh there she is," The man said soothingly, Jazz noted he had dark blue skin. He was a ghost. "How are you feeling my dear?"

"Tired," Jazz said. "Dizzy. Weak." The ghost nodded his head as he went through a quick examination. He smiled sweetly at her then patted her arm as he stood and went over to Vlad.

Jazz strained to hear what the doctor was saying in a hushed tone. She smiled as she watched Vlad's face grow very serious when the doctor said. They talked about potions and strong will.

"Do you think I should give her more?" Vlad asked worriedly

"Not unless you want to poison her," the ghost chuckled.

"Do you think her memory could be returning so quickly," Vlad said shortly. The ghost shook his head.

"She just seems weak and dehydrated. Eating may help her," The ghost answered. "Plenty of fluids. If she doesn't begin to feel well after a good rest then we'll have to see what else can be done. You may have to stop with the potions."

Vlad thanked the ghost as he ushered him from the room. Then he walked back to Jazz's bedside and sat down and took her hand. "You have nothing to worry about," he told her gently. "Today you'll simply sit and rest."

"Are you sure?" Jazz asked. "Wouldn't you rather I…"

Vlad put his hand to her mouth to quiet her. "I'll return in a few hours and we'll see how you are feeling then." Jazz nodded her head and smiled. She lifted her face toward Vlad and he kissed her quickly before leaving the room.

"Holy cow!" Jazz said as she put her hand to her throat and looked around the room in terror. Her eyes lit on the vial of fluid on the night stand. She picked it up and sniffed it. There was no smell. She placed it back where she found it then walked over to the bureau and attempted to open the top drawer, but it was locked. She turned searched through the room. A phone was sitting on the nightstand on the other end of the bed.

Jazz's breath caught in her throat and she raced over to grab it. She picked it up. Yes! There was a dial tone. She took several deep calming breaths. She needed to talk to Danny. Danny was the only person who could rescue her. Jazz sat on the edge of the bed for a moment then made her decision. She picked up the phone.

"I don't remember the number," She hissed to herself as she struggled to remember a number she'd only called a handful of times. She bit her lip, crossed her fingers and dialed a series of numbers.

**_XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX_**

Sam was shaking her head at Danny who was trying to chug an extra large chocolate Nasty Burger shake as fast as he could, with Tucker's loud encouragement, when her phone rang. She didn't even look to see who was calling as she casually put the phone to her ear and said, "Hello?"

"Sam?" Jazz shrieked in relief.

"Jazz?" Sam asked in wonderment then looked at Danny who put down his drink. Chocolate was dribbling from his chin and Sam handed him a napkin.

"Sam," Jazz said breathlessly as she looked over her shoulder to the door. "Is Danny with you?"

Sam looked at Danny whose expression had begun to close and become angry. "Yeah," Sam answered. "He's here. But I don't think he'll talk to you."

"I need to talk to him Sam," Jazz told her urgently. "It's a matter of life and death."

"Tell that bi…" Danny started but Sam covered his mouth and told him to hush.

"Life and death?" Sam said as she looked at Danny. "What's wrong?"

"I'm married to Vlad!" Jazz answered on a shriek then calmed herself and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah we know," Sam replied. "Which is why Danny doesn't want to talk to you."

"Just hang up the phone Sam," Danny ordered.

Sam glared at Danny for a moment. "Don't you dare tell me what to do Daniel Fenton!" she growled then placed the phone back on her ear.

"I'm being drugged!" Jazz told the Goth girl. "I'm being drugged and kept here against my will! Help."

"I can't," Sam said. "It didn't seem like you were being drugged six months ago when you told us you were going to marry Vlad." Sam gave Danny a reproachful glare as he stood, looked at Tucker for a moment, then back at Sam and stalked from the table.

"But I was!" Jazz insisted, her voice was frantic and filled with tears. "I'm in my right mind at the moment. I don't know how long it's going to be before Vlad realizes I'm back to normal and drugs me again. I need help. Please!"

"I'll see what I can do," Sam said.

"I need to go," Jazz whispered. "Please. Help me Sam. You're my only hope." The phone went dead and Sam sighed.

"What's going on?" Tucker asked.

"I've become Obi Wan Kenobi," Sam answered as she frowned at the phone.

Tucker wrinkled his face in confusion. "What?"

"Exactly," Sam replied. "Even worse Luke Skywalker is standing by the video games looking all doomed and heroic, and doesn't Obi Wan get killed by Darth Plasmius?"

"Ugh!" Tucker said as he put his hand on the side of his head. "Enough with the Star Wars analogies. That's the last time I'm taking you to vintage movie night Sam."

Sam chuckled to herself and sipped on her soda. "All right my dear Wookie, but it seems we have a problem. Princess Leia just called and needs to be rescued from the darkside."

"Stop it Sam!" Tucker shrieked. "You're terrifying me!"

"You're terrified!" Sam said in amazement. "Imagine how I feel. I just talked to Jazz and she just told me that Vlad has been drugging her and wants me to find a way to rescue her." She cast a look toward Danny who was angrily kicking the video games.

"Drugged?" Tucker asked in shock. "By Vlad?"

"Her husband!" Sam answered ominously.

"Holy cow!" Tucker said as he shook his head. "This is bad. Really bad." Danny kicked at the video game machine again and it gave a loud beeping protest

"Let's go rescue the droids from Luke and see if we can talk some sense into him," Sam said as she stood.

"Or we could just get killed," Tucker offered. "Either way we are in pretty deep shit!"

"Don't cuss!" Sam growled. "Cussing leads to the darkside." Tucker laughed then shuddered in fear. Sam always became very funny when the situation was deadly serious. He swallowed hard and stood behind her as she stood beside Luk..er Danny. Damn Sam, Tucker thought, now he was stuck with the analogies.

"What did she want?" Danny asked as he kicked the video game machine then jammed in another quarter and started to play.

"She wants help," Sam answered as she leaned against the machine and looked into Danny's face. His expression was set in stone, but Sam knew him well enough to know he was hurting.

"Help with what?" He asked stiffly.

"She says she's been drugged and just became conscious of where and who she is. She says it won't be long until Vlad drugs her again. She is begging for us to rescue her." Sam answered.

"She wasn't drugged," Danny said angrily. "I spent days and days trying to talk her out of marrying Vlad. If she was taking drugs, I would have seen it."

"Can you be one hundred percent positive about that?" Sam asked as she leaned on the side of the video game. "I mean this is Vlad Master's we're talking about."

"You know Vlad?" Tucker asked. "Obsessed with your mother, wants to own the Green Bay Packers, has ghost powers, married your sister…ewww that's just wrong, Vlad?"

Danny hit at the video machine again then started walking away. Sam and Tucker looked at each other a moment. Then followed him.

"Where are you going?" Sam asked as they caught up to Danny.

"I'm going to find a way to rescue my sister," Danny said angrily. Sam smiled at Tucker as they followed him out of the Nasty Burger and down the road.

"The force is strong in this one," Sam said as she waggled her eyebrows at Tucker.

"Oh man," Tucker said. "This is going to be really, really bad isn't it?" Sam nodded her head and they sighed as they followed Danny to Fenton works where they started planning.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

**You probably can't recognize what's changed, but changes have taken place. I'll post further chapters as they are modified. Thank you for your patience and thank Mo, for saving this story.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Jazz hung up the phone then sat down on the bed. She ran her fingers through her curly hair…wait. Curly hair? She looked around for a mirror, but didn't find one. What she did find was a bathroom.

Jazz flicked on the light, looked in the mirror and gasped. She looked like her mother in her college days. Her hair had been dyed a richer shade of auburn, her hair permed into poofy curls. Jazz narrowed her eyes at the mirror, and she was wearing violet blue contact lenses.

"I knew it!" Jazz said into the mirror as she took out the contact lenses and looked into her turquoise blue eyes with relief. She pulled back her hair and sighed. "Vlad is sick! Sick sick sick!" She shuddered then froze as she heard the bedroom door open.

"My darling," Vlad called. "I've brought you some refreshment."

"I'll be there in a second," Jazz called as she poofed her hair back up and blinked her eyes. She looked at the contact lenses. She had no way of getting them back in. She didn't even know how!

She looked in the mirror a moment then walked back into the bedroom. Vlad frowned at her. "You took out your contact lenses," he said stiffly. "Why?"

"My eyes were bothering me," Jazz said softly, not looking up at Vlad. She could barely stand to make eye contact with him in the first place. Vlad walked toward her and lifted her chin and looked into her eyes.

"You'll never get used to them my darling, unless you keep wearing them," He said softly, his expression was one of dismay.

Tears glittered in Jazz's eyes. "I'm sorry." She wasn't sorry. She was glad. She wished she could scratch his eyes out…right now.

Vlad shook his head. "It's not your fault my darling girl," he said gently as he stroked her cheek. Jazz did her best not to pull away from him in revulsion. Her vision caught sight of the vial of pink liquid still sitting on the end table. She was afraid Vlad would make her drink it. She had to get rid of it.

"I was going to take a shower," She said quickly. "I thought it might make me feel better to…" She felt dizzy again and braced herself against Vlad too keep her knees from buckling at the weight of the situation she now found herself in. Her vision became fuzzy and darkness edged around the corner of her site. Before she realized what was happening, she had gone limp in Vlad's arms, this time for real.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Jazz floated in and out of consciousness. At times she was aware of Vlad sitting beside her, speaking to her in a soft soothing voice, words she couldn't comprehend, they seemed kind, but she couldn't understand.

The blue skinned ghost came back to examine Jazz. He was able to pull her into alertness enough for her to remark that he had lovely blue skin. The man cursed at Vlad and told him he must stop using the drug and declared that Jazz was too strong willed for it to work as Vlad wanted. The potion would surely cause her death.

"How else am I going to keep her here?" Vlad asked dourly.

"You seem to care about the girl," The blue man answered. "Make her love you for real, instead of using my potions. I don't know why you'd want the illusion in the first place."

Vlad shook his head. "This girl hates me and all I stand for. Her family hates me, and all with good cause. As much as I have grown to care for her over the past few months, altering my original plans, she would never accept me without your assistance."

"And maybe you wouldn't care about her so much without the potion either," The blue man asked. "After all, once they fully wear off, she's not going to be so..um..pliable."

"I know," Vlad said dryly.

The blue man paused then sighed, "You should let her go. Why would you want to keep her against her will?"

"Because she's mine," Vlad answered in a determined tone. "I've lost enough. I lost her mother. I found her. I'm not losing her. I'm not letting her go."

"Well," The blue man said as he started from the room. "Give her anymore of my potions and you will, and she'll be mine. I guarantee you won't get her back." With that he was gone.

Vlad sat down on the end of the bed next to Jazz who had begun to drift back into the blessed world of unconsciousness. "I will have you back Jasmine," he said softly. "Not even in your dreams will you be able to escape me. You're mine."

The part of Jazz who was still Jazz wanted to yell and scream that there was no way she'd ever belong to him. The other part of her, the part that had been his loving wife for the past six months, even if it was through the use of some strange ghostly potion, was moved allowing tears to spill from her closed eyes. Vlad wiped the tears from her face then placed his head on her chest and began to plot. He had to find a way to keep her with him.

Jazz would have sat up and pushed him away from her if she could have. The effects of the potion were wearing off fast, the parts of her heart which were moved with emotion toward Vlad were quickly being replaced with her previous feelings of loathing.

She wanted to scream at him, and tell him she had never belonged to him and never would. She wished she knew how she came to be in this situation. How did she become of all things, the wife of Vlad Masters? How was she going to escape from the demented psychopath, who had deluded himself into believing he was in love with her? Jazz tried to fight the velvety call of slumber as it pulled her down into it's depths, but she was weak. Sleep claimed her and she dreamed the answer to all her questions. He was right, even in the sweet haven of sleep, could she escape the images of Vlad.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Jazz was exhausted as she rested between classes at Wisconsin University, her parent's alma mater. She sat on a bench and opened one of her text books and began to read. Out of her bag she retrieved an apple, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and a thermos full of milk. Nutrition was important when taking tests, she felt.

She had just taken a bite of the sandwich when a shadow fell over her. She looked up and blinked as the figure was obscured by the brightness of the sun contrasting with shadow obscured the man's identity. Jazz shielded her eyes for a moment so she could see who was standing above her.

"Hello Jasmine," replied a smooth voice. A fission of fear raced through Jazz as she gripped her sandwich.

She took a deep breath and calmed herself. "Hello Uncle Vlad," she said cheerfully. She looked back down at her book hoping that this nightmare figure standing above her would leave. She mentally checked her pocket for her cell phone in case she needed to call Danny.

"May I sit with you?" Vlad asked.

"I-I suppose so," Jazz answered. She could hardly imagine that Vlad, standing there in his immaculate dark suit, would want to sit in the grass. She was hoping he'd leave, instead he sat beside her.

"How are you liking your classes?" He asked as if it were normal for Danny's arch nemesis to show up out of the blue and strike up idle conversation.

Jazz put down her sandwich, her appetite had fled completely. "I love college," she said. "It is a wonderful life experience." She looked down at her text book.

"Yes," Vlad agreed. "College is a wonderful experience. College changed my life completely. College is where I met the love of my life." He sighed and Jazz cast him a sideways glance. She knew who Vlad considered to be the love of his life and she knew of the accident which had altered his life, giving him ghostly abilities like her brother.

"Well," Jazz said as she shut her book and began repacking her lunch. "I hate to be rude Uncle Vlad. It's really nice seeing you but…"

"You can cut the faux politeness Jasmine," Vlad said almost angrily. "I know sitting and having a conversation with Evil Old Vlad is the last thing you'd want to spend your afternoon doing."

"You are right," Jazz told him as she shoved her books in her backpack. "If you will excuse me."

Vlad closed his eyes. "Please," he implored. "Please just sit a little longer. Talk with me. I traveled here expressly to see you."

Jazz looked at Vlad and frowned at sadness of his expression. She sighed heavily and put her backpack aside and looked at him. "Why?" she asked.

Vlad smiled. "You take after your mother a great deal Jasmine," he remarked. "If not for the difference in hair and eye color, I'd think it would be hard to tell the two of you apart."

"But I'm not my mother," Jazz said as a creepy feeling began to work it's way up her neck.

Vlad laughed. "But you have her spirit my dear. You have her wit and her intelligence."

"Because I'm her daughter," Jazz pointed out. She frowned at the look Vlad was giving her. "You are old enough that I could be your daughter."

"True, True," Vlad agreed as he nodded his head. "But if your mother had chosen correctly and married me instead of your idiot father, she would have had no children. I know I could not have stood for her attention to be anywhere but upon myself."

"Because you're selfish," Jazz said angrily.

Vlad laughed. "Your impertinence is charming Jasmine!"

Jazz sighed as she looked at her watch. "All right Vlad. Cut to the chase. What are you here for?"

"I am lonely Jasmine," Vlad told her. "I am in want of someone to share my life with. I thought perhaps I could have a son, Daniel with his ghost powers was the perfect choice. Not only is he my Maddie's son but he has ghost powers, like me." Vlad frowned. "Unfortunately your brother is extremely stubborn and nothing I could do would induce him to join me."

"Because he's a good person," Jazz said. "He has a good heart."

"Yes," Vlad said his eyes glittering as he watched Jazz. "You're right. So that brings me to you."

Jazz shook her head in confusion for a moment. "You want me to be your daughter?" she asked in shock. "To adopt me? Why? I'm twenty years old, I'm not a child any more."

"I am not asking to be your father," Vlad said. His voice took on an ominously dangerous tone. "I do not need a daughter."

Jazz wanted to get up and run, but she didn't want Vlad to know how frightened she actually was. "Then what do you want?" she asked impatiently.

"I want you to become my wife," Vlad answered.

Jazz opened her mouth in shock. "You what?" she asked as she regarded Vlad with wide fear filled eyes.

"My wife," Vlad repeated calmly. "I am asking you to marry me Jasmine."

"You're insane!" Jazz shrieked. "Never. I'd never marry you Vlad. You are far, far too old for me! Why don't you just get a cat?"

"You seem to think that you have a choice in the matter," Vlad said smoothly a slight smile growing on his face.

"Of course I have a choice in the matter," Jazz growled as she reached into her pocket for her cell phone, intent on calling Danny and having him deal with the psychopath sitting beside her.

Vlad deftly reached out and relieved Jazz of the phone in her hand. "As I said Jasmine. You have little choice in the matter. His eyes glittered red and Jazz stood. She grabbed her things and started running, and that was the last conscious memory she had until she found herself sitting beside Vlad at the breakfast table six months later.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Jazz opened her eyes and found herself alone in the room. Each time she surfaced from sleep before, Vlad was standing or sitting beside her, which sent her back into unconsciousness in the only means of escape she could manage.

She sat up then gasped as she came face to face with a pair of glowing green eyes. She had to put her hand over he mouth to stifle a scream as she slowly recognized her brother sitting at the end of the bed.

"Danny?" She asked in bewilderment.

"Shhhh." He said as he put his finger to his lips. Jazz nodded her head as she watched him stand and walk to the door. He walked back to the bed and sat down beside her.

"Did you come to rescue me?" Jazz asked urgently.

"No," he replied. "I'm not really here. You're not really awake. I'm just here to protect you from the part of this ordeal you can't face."

"Oh," Jazz said in disappointment. Danny put out his hand and Jazz took it. He pulled her from the bed.

"Let's go see," he told her and they flew away. Jazz looked back and saw that she was still laying on her bed. She wondered if Danny would ever really come to rescue her, or if she was stuck with Vlad forever.

Danny squeezed her hand and Jazz's attention was directed to the people talking below her as they floated in what looked like a large dinning room. Vlad and herself.

"_I'm not feeling right." Jazz said as she placed her hand to her head. _

"Drink this," Vlad said as he offered her a vial of glowing pink liquid. "It will make everything better." Jazz took the vial from Vlad's hand.

Jazz, watching the scene from her vantage point above wanted to yell out for her counterpart to spit it out, but realized it would do no good. She couldn't stop what was about to happen.

"_Soon," Vlad said as he took the now empty vial from Jazz and placed it on the table. "We will go to your parents and tell them the news."_

"_The news?" Jazz asked in bewilderment. Vlad smiled as he took Jazz's hand and placed a large glittering diamond on her finger. _

"_You love me Jasmine," Vlad told her. "I am the center of your life. You are going to be my wife. Nothing can change your mind. Anyone who doesn't accept your decision is your enemy."_

"_I love you," Jazz said then smiled sweetly at Vlad. "We will be together forever."_

"Yes," Vlad said as he smiled and placed his hand on Jazz's shoulder. Jazz tilted her face up toward him and closed her eyes awaiting a kiss from her fiancé.

Jazz, floating freely above the romantic scene, cried out in distress and turned her head. Danny, or the part of her psyche which took on the form of Danny, took her hand and whispered for her not to be afraid, that she was safe.

Jazz opened her eyes again and was presented with a new scene. She was sitting in her parent's kitchen. Vlad was standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders. Her mother was frozen with a stunned expression on her face. Her father was standing a look of complete horror written on his strong features.

"You must be kidding," Maddie finally said as she reached forward and took her daughter's hand and squeezed. "This is a joke. Tell me this is a joke Jazz."

"_I-I" Jazz faltered then was interrupted by Vlad._

"_I can assure you Maddie," Vlad began. "We are quite serious, and quite desperately in love with each other. Isn't that right my little butternut?"_

"_Yes," Jazz said as she met her mother's gaze._

"_I'll kill him!" Jack yelled as he moved toward Vlad._

"_Daddy no!" Jazz screamed as she jumped between her father and Vlad. "Don't hurt him. Please."_

"_This is crazy Jazz," Maddie said as she tried to wrest her daughter away from Vlad. Jazz refused to go with her. "He's too old for you. He's a creep!"_

"_He's not a creep!" Jazz gasped as she stepped closer to Vlad and put her arm around his waist. "He's my fiancé. Why can't you accept my choice? You don't even know him! He's kind and gentle, loving and sweet."_

"_I'll kill him," Jack growled again as his eyes met Vlad's pleased gaze._

"_Either you accept him and my decision," Jazz said angrily. "Or I-I'll never see you again." Jack looked uncertain a moment then looked at his wife, whose eyes were filling with tears._

"_Jazz," Maddie said softly. "Please. You're obviously not thinking clearly. Come with me into the living room. Talk with me."_

"_Anything you have to say to me can be said with Vlad in the room," Jazz told her mother angrily. "You're just trying to separate me from him. I'm not going to fall for your tricks."_

_It was at that moment that Danny and his two friends walked through the door. "Vlad!" Danny said in shock._

_Vlad's pleased grin grew larger. "Hello Daniel. You seemed to arrived just in time to learn the joyous news." Danny looked at the distressed expression his parents wore._

"_It doesn't look joyous to me," Danny replied._

"_Vlad," Jazz said softly. "Let me talk to Danny. Please." Vlad seemed to consider the request for a moment then he nodded his head and let Jazz walk toward her brother._

"_Come on," Jazz said as she took Danny's hand and walked her bewildered brother into the living room. Tucker and Sam were left standing looking at Maddie, Jack and Vlad._

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

"_What's going on?" Danny asked as he turned on his sister who sat on the couch and regarded him calmly._

"_I'm getting married," Jazz told him happily._

_Danny gave her a look of confusion. "To who?" he asked. "I didn't know you were dating anyone."_

"_I've fallen desperately in love Danny," Jazz told him happily. "Mom and Dad are being ridiculous. They won't support my decision. I know you will. You won't turn your back on me Danny."_

_Danny looked at his sister a moment then up at the kitchen door where he could see Sam and Tucker peering out at worriedly._

"_I want you to be there when I get married," Jazz said quickly. "Next week. I was hoping Dad would give me away, but he's turned his back on me Danny. I need you to give me away."_

"_What?" Danny said as he shook his head. "What are you talking about Jazz? What's going on?"_

"_I've fallen in love with Vlad," Jazz said softly. "We're getting married next week and…"_

_Danny jumped away from his sister as if she'd suddenly caught fire. "What!" He yelled then paused as Jazz looked up at him with wide tear filled eyes._

_  
"I know it's strange," Jazz started then frowned as Danny phased his hand through her. "I'm not being over shadowed Danny. This is me. This is my decision. I hope you can understand."_

"_Jazz," Danny whispered as he sat beside her again. "This is Vlad we're talking about."_

"_I know," Jazz said._

_  
"Vlad!" Danny exclaimed, the tone of his voice said it all._

"_You don't know him Danny. Not like I know him he's…"_

_  
"What did he do to you?" Danny interrupted. "Tell me and we'll find away out of this. I'll rescue you. Kill him with my own hands if I have to Jazz. What has he done to you? What is he threatening you with?"_

_Jazz pushed at her brother. "Nothing!" she yelled as she stood. "He's threatened me with nothing. Vlad isn't like that. You don't understand!"_

"_I know Vlad," Danny replied. "I know his evil tricks. I know how evil he is. Jazz you can't be serious about this."_

"_If your not with me Danny," Jazz said angrily. "Then you're against me. I hoped that you of all people would understand and trust me. Vlad has changed. I've changed him. He loves me. I love him!"_

"_That's disgusting!" Danny hissed. "That is the most disturbing, sickest thing I've ever heard in my life!"_

"_You're such a jerk!" Jazz yelled. "I hate you Danny. Mom. Dad. You. Why can't you just be happy for me?"_

"_Because you're standing there telling me that you intend on marrying Vlad! He tried to kill Dad. He's in love with Mom Jazz. Mom not you! He's tried to kill me several times. He even threatened to kill you once."_

_Jazz shook her head as she wiped the tears from her face. "You don't get it do you Daniel," she said coldly. "He loves me now! We are going to be happy together, whether you like it or not. You're either with me or against me."_

"_You've lost your mind!" Danny yelled._

"_Vlad!" Jazz called in distress. He was at her side in an instant, glowering at Danny._

"_I'm here my love," he said comfortingly to Jazz. Jack and Maddie followed from the kitchen and were standing speechless as they watched the scene before them._

"_I want to go," Jazz sobbed. "Take me away from here. I never want to see these people again. I don't know who they are." Vlad said nothing more as he took Jazz's hand and lead her out of the house, into his car and with that, they were gone._

Jazz looked at Danny with tear filled eyes. "I'm sorry," she said to her brother. Even though she knew the ghost floating beside her was part of her own psyche.

"There's more Jazz," Danny said. "Do you want to see it?"

Jazz thought for a moment then nodded her head. It would be better to know then imagine the horrors she faced as Vlad's wife.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

**There weren't too many changes to this chapter. If you liked this story before, don't be afraid to like it again, I won't delete it twice and I will finish it, I'm just requiring some help from a friend. I apologize for deleting it before.**

**Don't be afraid to review as well, I know it's asking a lot seeing as I deleted this, but things have been pretty rough on my side of the keyboard, if you knew you'd understand. Thank you for reading this story and giving it another chance.**

**This is dedicated to Everyone's Favorite Rebel Scum, the savior of this story.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the related characters, they are all creations of Butch Hartman. Consequentially, I do not own nor did I write The Battle Hymn of the Republic. Also, the state of my sanity is still in question.**

Chapter Three

Jazz held imaginary Danny's hand as she watched the disturbing scene unfold before her. She could see herself walking down an isle in what was probably the most beautiful white wedding dress she'd ever seen. She wanted to yell at herself to turn and run as she approached Vlad with a beaming smile on her face.

The ceremony was quick and before she knew it, Jazz was watching Vlad and herself walking back down the isle happily smiling at each other. She was married to Vlad.

"This is a nightmare right?" Jazz asked Danny.

"Only in so far as it depicts actual events," Danny responded.

"I really married Vlad," Jazz said in shock. "Of course I can have the marriage annulled. Like it never happened." Danny nodded his head and pointed to the next scene. Jazz gasped and closed her eyes.

"I don't want to see this Danny," she said shakily.

"Repressed memories are not healthy," Danny warned. "It may not be as bad as you think it is. Look."

Jazz opened one eye. She was laying in the bed curled up next to Vlad. Danny was right, it wasn't as bad as it looked. She was under the covers and Vlad was not. It was apparent that nothing unspeakable had occurred.

"Has it always been this way?" Jazz asked in surprise.

"Umm sure," Danny answered.

"He's never so much as laid a finger on me?" Jazz exclaimed in relief as a few fuzzy memories filled her mind.

"So it appears." Danny replied, looking a little sheepish.

Jazz almost laughed as she examined the strange scene of her sleeping in Vlad's arms. "I'm relieved. So relieved." She felt confused. Certainly she'd been willing to do anything he asked, so she had expected worse.

"It's better not to look too deeply into some things," Danny told her as the world went dark around them. All she could see were her brother's glowing green eyes. "There are other memories which I cannot bear to show you."

"Danny," Jazz whispered. "I don't want you to leave me. I need you to come rescue me."

"I'm not really Danny," he answered. "Remember. Don't be scared of Vlad. He won't hurt you. Not as long as he feels he loves you."

"Please stay!" Jazz cried, but Danny was gone and she was suddenly back in her bed. Her eyes fluttered open and she found Vlad sitting beside her. She closed her eyes as tight as she could. She wasn't ready to deal with him.

"Jasmine," Vlad said softly. "I know you're awake. There is no need to play games with me."

Jazz opened one eye and looked at Vlad who was staring at her with a look of disapproval. She opened the other eye and met his gaze unwavering and defiantly. He sighed deeply and looked away from the challenge in her eyes.

"All the potion has warn off I see," Vlad observed. "And now my Jasmine has been replaced with this spirited, feral creature intent on taking her revenge out upon me."

"No," Jazz said as she sat up. "I just want to go home."

Vlad shook his head. "But you are home my dear. This has been your home for the last six months and will continue to be your home. I'm certain you'll learn to be happy. You'll want for nothing."

"I want my family," Jazz told him. "I want my freedom. I want to go back to school. I want to resume my life."

"Your life is with me now," Vlad told her. "You are my wife."

"I was not in my right mind when you married me. It's called entrapment. I can get an annulment." Jazz replied stiffly.

"In time," Vlad said. "You'll learn to love me."

Jazz shook her head as she pulled her knees up into her chest and buried her face in them. "I'll never love you Vlad. Never never never."

"You know what they say Jasmine." Vlad started. "Never say never."

"I'd rather die first," Jazz said trying not to sound as if she was going to burst into tears. She looked up at Vlad and frowned at the shattered look on his face. She expected him to tell her that it could be arraigned.

"That would be a means of escape," Vlad told her blankly as he stood and walked to the door. "And I'm sorry Jasmine. There is simply no escape." He didn't look at her as he closed the door behind him and turned the lock.

Jazz jumped out of the bed and looked for the telephone on the end table, but it was gone. She sighed deeply then walked into the bathroom intent on taking a shower. She paused for a moment and thought then shook her head. She felt weak and dizzy again. Something was bothering her. Something she couldn't face.

Jazz looked around the room for a moment. She walked to the dresser and found fresh clothes. She placed them on the bed then found a towel. She turned toward the bathroom and found Danny blocking the entry.

"You don't want to go in there," he warned.

Jazz hesitated a moment. "Why," she asked.

"There are some memories that we're not ready to face yet." Danny warned her.

"But there's nothing to worry about," Jazz said in a falsely cheerful voice. The look on Danny's face told her she was wrong. She walked past Danny and straight into a very shocking memory.

Her head began to ache as she entered the bathroom. She could hear the sound of water running, but couldn't see so well through the foggy mist. She could hear the sound of two voices, see their figures in the shower. She opened her mouth in shock, her eyes widening in horror. She wanted to scream, instead her world went dark and she collapsed onto the bathroom floor. No one was there to stop her from hitting the cold tiles, and no one was there to pick her up.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Tucker and Sam followed Danny as he marched from The Nasty Burger. He said nothing to his friends, he didn't care at this point if they followed him or not. His mind was focused on his sister and the trouble she was in.

"Man he looks really pissed," Tucker remarked as he nearly had to run to keep up with Danny's swift pace. Sam said nothing, she merely started humming The Battle Hymn of the Republic as they marched.

"You're really sick in the head," Tucker growled at Sam.

"Glory glory hallelujah!" Sam sang loudly as she smiled at Tucker as they continued to march behind Danny.

Danny simply ignored Tucker and Sam and their bickering. He marched into the house and down the stairs where his father and mother were working in the lab.

"Mom," Danny called as he stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "Dad!" Tucker and Sam weren't far behind, they stopped so quickly that they nearly fell over each other.

"Yes Danny," Jack said softly. He was not the same man since he'd lost his daughter. He loved his princess and now he felt she was lost to him forever. His enthusiasm for ghost hunting waned and now he merely tinkered in the basement on idle little inventions.

"We," Danny started then stopped and looked over his shoulder at Sam. "Sam just talked to Jazz."

"Jazz!" Maddie said excitedly as she walked forward her hand on her heart and looked at Sam. "Is she all right? Is she healthy? Is she happy? Does she miss us?"

Jack grabbed Sam and yanked her down the rest of the way into the lab. He sat her on a nearby stool and stared into her eyes. "How did my princess sound?" he questioned fiercely. "That jerk hasn't hurt her has he?"

Sam sent Danny an annoyed look. "Thanks a lot Dan," she said then sighed as she turned back to Jack and regarded him worriedly.

"Answer my question!" Jack yelled. "Or I'll put you in the Fenton Ghost Juicer and squeeze the answer out of you!"

"But I'm not a ghost!" Sam said in shock.

"You will be if you don't tell me about my princess!" Jack boomed. Tucker laughed from his vantage point on the stairs and Sam sent him an evil look.

"She didn't say much," Sam said as she looked fearfully at Jack. "She said that Vlad has been drugging her and wanted Danny's help."

Jack straightened up and walked to the other side of the lab. "Why didn't she call her mother and I for help?" he said to himself. "She doesn't feel like we can protect her…that's why!"

"Jack," Maddie growled. "Get a hold of yourself!" Jack nodded his head and began tinkering with one of his inventions.

"Mom," Danny said as he turned to his mother. "I'm going to go rescue her, but I need the Specter Speeder." Maddie frowned at her son then turned to her husband.

"You know where the keys are," Jack said quietly. "Be careful."

"Thanks Dad," Danny said. He hugged his mother briefly then looked at Sam and Tucker. "You two coming with me or not?" There was no hesitation on the part of either of his friends, of course they were coming.

"Danny," Jack said. "Wait." Danny stopped and looked at his father.

"You'll need some better ghost fighting equipment," Jack told his son. Danny opened his mouth. How did his father know? There was no way he could have been aware of Vlad's ghost powers. Was there?

"This," Jack said as he handed a large ecto-blaster. "Is my latest invention. I came up with it while plotting to hurt Vlad. The beam is very highly concentrated. It will tear apart human flesh just effectively as ghost."

"Uh, Thanks Dad," Danny said as he took the blaster.

"Do not use it on your sister,' Jack warned.

"I won't Dad,' Danny replied in exasperation. He turned and looked at his mother.

"I hate letting you go like this Danny. I really think you should let your father and I handle this." Maddie said as she looked into her son's eyes.

"Trust me Mom," Danny started. "It's really better that I go. I can take care of myself."

"And Tucker and Sam and Jazz?" Maddie asked softly as she reached out and ruffled Danny's hair.

"Yup," Danny told her confidently. "Trust me okay Mom?"

"I don't know," Maddie said as she shook her head. "I'd rather go with you Sweetie."

"We'll watch Danny's back for you Mrs. Fenton," Tucker said. Maddie looked at Tucker a moment then smiled and nodded her head. She walked over to Jack and he put his arm around her.

"I believe it's safer for Danny to go," Jack said to Maddie. "I don't think Vladdy would do anything to hurt Danny and his friends. Besides Honey, I think you and I would go in shooting, asking questions later."

"True," Maddie agreed with her husband

"What the situation needs," Jack continued. "Is a little bit of diplomacy." Maddie smiled kindly at her clueless husband. It was easy to tell by the look on his face, that Danny was not on a diplomatic mission.

"Be careful Sweetie," Maddie told him gently. Danny only nodded his head as he followed Sam and Tucker into the Specter Speeder. He waved once at his parents, and then they were off.

Tucker and Sam waited until they were flying toward Wisconsin, Vlad's home, before asking Danny questions.

"I hate to be the party pooper," Tucker said to Danny. "But you do have a plan don't you?"

"Cause you know," Sam started. "Running in there guns blazing isn't going to cut it."

Danny shot Sam a sideways glace. "You think not?"

"I know not," Sam said. "Come on Danny you've dealt with Vlad enough to know how he works. He's probably all ready for you."

Danny sighed and slowed the Specter Speeder down. "So what do you think we should do?" He asked. "Just walk up, ring the bell and ask to see Jazz?"

"It might work," Tucker said. "I mean it's not something Vlad would expect."

"Yeah and it might get me blasted all the way back to Amity Park," Danny replied cynically.

"I think we can break down his guard," Sam said softly. "Let Tuck and I be the bait. We won't even tell him you're with us."

"What do you mean?" Tuck shrieked. "I'm not anyone's bait!"

Danny furrowed his eyebrows and said, "It might work. You could tell him you're here against my wishes. That you wanted to check on Jazz."

"Hold on!" Tucker yelled. "No one's listening to me!"

Sam gave Tucker an exasperated look. "Do you have any better ideas Tuck?" She asked

Tucker shook his head. "No. But, I think you and I as bait is a bad idea. Vlad's not stupid you know. He'll smell a rat and we'll be toast."

"But," Danny said. "You'll get in long enough to get me in, and that's all that counts. The worst he's going to do to you is kick you off his property."

"I say we do it!" Sam said fiercely.

"Lets do it!" Danny agreed as he fired up the Speeder.

"Oh man," Tucker wailed. "This has disaster written all over it."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Jazz woke up on the bathroom floor with Danny standing over her. "I warned you," he said gently. "but you didn't listen."

Jazz put her hand to the side of her head and looked around the bathroom. It was completely empty, except for her and Danny. She stood up and looked in the mirror. She looked horrible. Her permed hair was frizzy and askew, and her eyes were slightly swollen and puffy. It was a blessing that she took the horrible contact lenses out.

She steeled herself and walked toward the shower. She had no more visions as she turned the hot water on, then adjusted the temperature. She started unbuttoning her pajamas then looked at Danny.

"I know you're me," she said. "I know you're not really Danny, but could you turn around or something." Danny nodded his head and turned as he walked to the bathroom door.

"I'll just wait here," he said. "You don't have to worry. You're not alone."

"No," Jazz sighed as she finished undressing. "I'm just completely insane." She stepped into the shower and hissed as the stinging water hit her skin. She washed her hair, wishing that simply doing so could make it her own vibrant orange red and eliminate the frizzy curls. She wanted to cry, but decided that she had cried enough.

"Are you still there?" she called to her imaginary Danny.

"Still here." He replied. For some reason Jazz felt safer knowing he was there, even though there was no way her imagination could protect her from Vlad. Horrible Vlad.

Jazz rested her forehead against the wet tile as the almost too hot water pelted her. Memories that were all at once pleasant and horrifying began to assault her. Warm hands caressing her skin, lips on hers, hers on his. Declarations of love and more…She shut her eyes tight and whimpered as she slid down the wall.

"I don't want to know," She said to herself as she curled up in the corner of the shower. "I want to forget." She began to sob as she fought the memories of long nights wrapped in the arms of her husband, and though the memories were tender and sweet, they were more horrifying than she could have imagined.

She wasn't truly a willing participant in the charade he'd built around her she told herself. The memories were like a very bad nightmare, a long and horrifying nightmare she no longer had to participate in.

What hurt her the most though, was how happy she had been, how she deeply she had betrayed herself. It wasn't her fault, she tried to reason with herself, she hadn't been in her right mind. She wasn't in control of herself, but wasn't there something she could have done? She could have fought harder she was sure. She knew how weak she had actually been. Jazz hated herself.

The memories filling her senses drove Jazz to a place in her mind where she could escape the horror of the life she'd found herself in. She curled herself up in a ball tightly and allowed the water from the shower to fall, wishing she could drown in the liquid pooling on the floor, then slip with it down the drain. She remained in her spot in the corner of the shower even after the heated water faded away and turned icy cold.

She had no clue how long she lay there before someone finally came and turned off the water. Jazz barely registered their presence at first. She was in another world. Danny and her parents were there and she was fine. She didn't fight as she was picked up from her refuge in the corner, she felt as though there was no fight left in her, all of it had slipped, along with her sanity, down the drain.

Jazz sighed as she laid her head on her mysterious benefactor's shoulder. She didn't hear the soft soothing words or register the towel drying her or the hands helping her dress, all she knew was someone was there, comforting her and she clung to him for dear life until he laid her on the bed and looked into her eyes.

After laying in the shower, crying for so long, she didn't feel like she had much strength left, but the fury which filled her as he tilted her chin and looked into her face lent her strength. Jazz put everything she had into the punch she threw at him. Her hand exploded in pain as it connected with his jaw and she smiled in satisfaction as his head snapped back with the impact. Maybe she wasn't as insane as she thought she was. She smiled grimly.

"I was going to ask if you were all right," Vlad said as he cradled his jaw in his hand. "But you are apparently fine if you have the strength to hit me like that."

"I want to go home!" Jazz told him fiercely. "I demand you let me go. I'll never cooperate with you. I'll fight you with my last breath!"

"I told you already Jasmine," Vlad said as he distanced himself from her. "You are home and I will never let you go."

"You are sick!" She yelled. "You are disgusting. Vile. Nasty. I hate you. I will always hate you! You've tried to make me into my mother! Tried to force me into some twisted illusion. I'm going to make you sorry Vlad. You will pay." She lifted her chin defiantly and noticed with satisfaction that her words seemed to wound him a great deal more than her punch to his face had.

Vlad said nothing as he walked to the door. "I brought you something to eat," he said. "I suggest that if you are going to continue to fight me, you keep up your strength." With that he left the room.

Jazz looked around until she saw Danny standing in at the bathroom door. "Way to go Jazz!" he said.

"Thank you," she replied as she stood shakily and walked back into the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror for a moment. She hated her reflection. She hated what Vlad had done to her, but what could she do? An idea hit her and she began searching through the drawers and cabinets until she found everything she needed. She took a deep breath as she looked in the mirror than grabbed a large handful of hair and began cutting.

The results of her self given hair cut would have sent her into hysterics on any normal occasion, but she was perversely pleased with the ragged mess her hair had become. Her hair was so short that the roots of her natural color was apparent next to the darker shade Vlad had dyed it, the frizzy curls were obviously gone. She smiled in satisfaction.

"What do you think?" she asked the figure sitting up on the counter.

"Beautiful," Danny replied.

"Thank you," Jazz said as she walked into the bedroom. She poured herself a glass of juice. She was starving so she sat down and ate.

"I remember," She said to Danny. "Sam telling me what she did when she was kidnapped to The Ghost Zone and betrothed to that dragon ghost. I plan on doing the same thing. I'm going to make myself so horribly unattractive and bothersome to Vlad, that he'll won't be able to wait to let me go."

"I think you're half way there already Jazz," Danny laughed as he gestured to her hair. Jazz only smiled as she ate.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

"Way to go Tuck," Danny said bitterly as they finally landed a few miles from Vlad's mansion.

"I never volunteered to be the navigator," Tucker defended as they all piled out of the speeder. The sun was going down and it had taken them much longer than normal to reach Vlad's home, because Tucker had them going the wrong way for the first hour.

"Are you guys ready?" Sam asked as she straightened her skirt and smoothed her hair. Danny transformed into his ghostly self and nodded his head.

"I guess," Tucker said as they began to walk down the road leading to Vlad's door.

They had just reached the gates of Vlad's estate when Danny stopped. He frowned as a blue green light surrounded him. "Damn! Ghost shield!" he exclaimed.

"Just change back," Sam snorted as she walked past the gate and turned to look at Danny and Tuck. Danny sighed then changed to his human form and walked across the invisible line of the shield. He changed back to ghost, but hadn't walked another ten feet when he encountered another shield.

"Looks like he's been expecting you," Tucker said.

"I'll just have to stay in human form until we reach the house," Danny said as he started walking. Sam shrugged her shoulders at Tucker and followed him. Unfortunately there seemed to be a shield every ten feet and then they met the video cameras. They all frowned and looked at each other.

"I guess I don't get to be bait," Tucker said trying not to sound disappointed.

"He already knows we're here," Danny said. Then pointed at the door. Vlad's figure could be seen standing in the door way. Danny marched forward until he stood before Vlad.

"You're here to see Jasmine I trust," Vlad said blankly.

"Don't try to keep me from her," Danny warned.

"I wouldn't dream of it my boy," Vlad said as he moved and gestured for Danny to enter. He looked at Sam and Tucker for a moment.

"Your conscience and your brain will need to stay here," Vlad said to Danny as he pointed at Tucker and Sam.

"I'm not his conscience!" Tucker exclaimed.

"Yeah but you're not his brain either," Sam laughed then put on a serious face as Vlad sent them both a disapproving look.

"Wait here," Vlad told them. "Touch nothing." He then turned to Danny and motioned for him to follow.

Sam looked at Tucker and started breathing like Darth Vader. Tucker rolled his eyes then smiled at the Goth girl and shook his head.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

**I'm not quite sure how I feel about it, or it's rating. The nightmares have started again. AGH!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

If Vlad been more aware of Jazz's state of mind, and altered appearance, he would not have so readily let Danny see her, but Vlad was over confidant and thought that perhaps seeing her brother would settle Jazz down to a controllable level. He was not lying when he said he loved her, and seeing her brother would undoubtedly make her happy. He felt as though he was completely in control of the situation. Little did he know how much control Jazz had actually wrested from him.

Vlad opened the door to Jazz's room and motioned for Danny to enter. Vlad didn't follow into the room. He walked away, and perhaps it was better for his health that he wasn't immediately available after Danny's visit with his sister.

Danny gasped as he entered the room and looked at his sister. She was sitting on the edge of her bed. Her hair looked like it had been in a fight with a lawn mower, and lost. She was almost bald with tufts sticking out here and there. She looked completely derrainged.

"Jazz?" Danny asked softly as he walked forward.

"Danny," Jazz said as he blinked at him. She looked toward the bathroom door then back at Danny. "Why did you change?" she asked.

"Because I'm more comfortable this way," Danny answered softly as he sat down beside her. He wondered what she was talking about.

"Just wait until Vlad sees me," she told him. "He's going to be very, very upset." She smiled.

"I've come to get you out of here Jazz," Danny told her softly. "I'm sorry I doubted you. I was wrong. I should have tried harder to save you in the beginning."

"But you said you can't rescue me," Jazz said in bewilderment. Danny reached forward and touched Jazz's ragged hair. She smiled at him and he frowned worriedly.

"What happened to your hair?" Danny asked.

Jazz gave him a funny look. "You should know," she answered. "You were there when I did it."

Tears filled Danny's eyes and he stood and walked to the bathroom door. He examined the hair on the counter, then turned back to Jazz.

"Has he hurt you?" Danny asked as he returned to his sister and surveyed her with a grim expression.

Jazz looked at Danny a moment. She looked confused as she grabbed his arm. "Are you really here?" she asked.

Danny sighed as he sat down next to her. "Yes," he answered.

"You're not my imagination?" she said almost excitedly.

"No," Danny answered as he looked into her eyes. Jazz squealed happily and threw her arms around her brother and hugged and hugged and hugged him.

"Oh Danny," She said. "I was so scared you wouldn't come. I knew you would, but I was so scared you wouldn't. Your ghost half has been keeping me company while I waited, but it wasn't really you,"

"Okay," Danny replied as he put his hand on the side of Jazz's head and touched what was left of her hair. Tears spilled from his eyes and he had to clear his throat.

"Why did you cut your hair?" he asked gruffly.

Jazz sighed deeply. "He was trying to turn me into Mom," she answered. My hair was colored and permed. I looked like I stepped out of her college year book. I even had contact lenses the color of her eyes."

Danny did his best to keep himself calm. It was apparent that his sister had a few screws loose by the way she was talking and he already knew Vlad did. "I'm taking you home now," Danny told her gently.

"Good!" Jazz said as she stood. She looked at her cotton pajamas and frowned. "Let me find some clothes first. She rummaged through drawers until she found some jeans and a tee shirt then quickly changed. She smiled at Danny who continued to regard her grimly. He extended his hand to her and she took it with a smile.

"I'm ready," she said as she squeezed his hand. "Let's go home."

Vlad was no where in sight, which was a very good thing considering how Danny was feeling at the moment. He walked warily down the hall, holding tight to Jazz's hand with her slightly behind him, but Vlad never appeared. They made their way downstairs. Sam and Tucker were waiting.

Danny's friends looked at Jazz and their eyes went wide. Danny shook his head and they both clamped their mouths shut.

"Did Vlad come back down?" Danny asked.

"No," Tucker said as he gestured for Danny to look at the wall. Hanging in the Foyer was a large painting of Vlad sitting in a chair with Jazz standing behind him with her hand on his shoulder. Danny blinked once and shook his head. He directed Jazz out the door then looked back and shot a big ectoplasmic blast at the painting, knocking it to the floor.

"Where's Vlad?" Jazz asked as they walked down the steps and down the road. She frowned as she looked up at the house. "He said he'd never let me go."

"Maybe he decided he'd rather not face Danny's wrath." Tucker suggested.

Jazz shook her head as she clung to Danny and looked around. "No." she said. "I know him. He's up to something. There is no way he's going to let me go."

"Maybe he changed his mind," Sam offered

"Don't worry about it Jazz," Danny told his sister. "No matter what he does, he can't stop me from taking you out of here."

"Oh yes he can," Tucker sighed as he pointed to the spot where the now missing Specter Speeder had been parked.

"I told you he wasn't going to just let me go," Jazz said in a panicked tone. She looked around as if she expected Vlad to show up at any moment and take her back to his mansion.

"We'll walk then," Danny said determinedly. "We'll walk until we get to a main road." He looked at Sam.

"I'll call your parents to pick us up," she said as she brandished her cell phone.

"We'll be walking forever," Tucker complained. Everyone ignored him as they started forward.

"He's not going to let me go," Jazz continued to chant as they walked. Danny gave his sister a worried look. The group was just about to cross out of Vlad's property when an invisible wall stopped them.

"See," Jazz said her voice filled with emotion. "He won't let me go."

"Then we'll kick his ass!" Danny said. He held tight to Jazz's hand as they marched back up to Vlad's mansion. Danny went ghost as soon as he was on the doorstep then opened the door.

"Vlad!" He called angrily. "Show yourself you lousy piece of….cheese!"

"Piece of cheese?" Tucker asked.

"I told you," Sam whispered to Tucker. "Cussing leads to the darkside." Tucker gave her an annoyed look and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Vlad!" Danny yelled again then let go of Jazz's hand. Sam came up beside Jazz and took her hand. Danny's sister smiled at Sam and thanked her.

"He's never going to let me go Sam," Jazz whispered fearfully. "And I'm afraid he's going to kill Danny."

"Don't worry about Danny," Sam said trying not to let on how scared she was. Jazz gave Sam a doubtful look.

"Sam," Jazz started. "I appreciate the positive attitude, but trust me. I know Vlad."

"We know Vlad too," Sam said reassuringly. Jazz only shook her head. Then watched as Danny phased himself out of the room.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Danny found Vlad in his lab. Standing at a table in his human mode. He waited for Vlad to turn around and say something, but he never did, and as much as Danny wanted to attack him, he didn't attack while people's backs were turned.

"Turn off the shield," Danny finally said. "I'm taking Jazz home."

"This is her home now Danny," Vlad replied still not turning around. "You have a choice to make my boy."

"If the choice is taking Jazz home over your dead body," Danny growled angrily. "I have no problem with that."

Vlad chuckled lightly then turned to look at Danny. His expression was bland and bored. "You think you can do that? You think you can kill me?"

"I know I can," Danny answered as he prepared himself for an attack. "And I will if I have to. I'd do anything for Jazz."

"You're such a good and loyal brother," Vlad said smarmily. "So willing to do anything for his older sister's honor."

"Anything," Danny said as he readied to hit Vlad with a blast.

"Would you give your life for her?" Vlad asked. "I mean, if I said I would take an exchange. Would you do it?"

"Is that the choice you were going to offer me?" Danny asked angrily. "When I could just end your existence and be done with it."

"Oh! Bother Daniel," Vlad said in irritation. "Ending my life wouldn't be as easy as you think."

"And it wouldn't be as hard as you think," Danny countered.

"Here are your choices," Vlad started. "Having your sister in my life has, changed me."

Danny folded his arms across his chest. "Oh sure it has. So much so that you want to keep her here against her will, making her unhappy and obviously crazy. Next thing you are going to tell me is that you are in love with her. What you are in love with is the idea of my mother."

"Your mother," Vlad started angrily. "Is an amazing woman, but Jazz well…she's something else." He sighed and shook his head.

"Exactly," Danny said. "Now turn off the shields, give me back the Specter Speeder and let Jazz go!"

"As I was saying," Vlad continued as he cleared his throat. "Having Jazz in my life, changed my focus. For the better I believe you would think. Didn't you notice that your instances of ghosts in Amity Park diminished?"

"That has nothing to do…" Danny started.

"It has everything to do with it!" Vlad yelled as he advanced on Danny. "I will not let you take her."

"You can't keep her!" Danny yelled back.

Vlad calmed himself then smoothed his suit. "Here are my terms. I will let you and Jasmine go. I keep your friends. Would you exchange Tucker for Jazz? How about Sam? Would you give me the love of your life in return for your sister?"

"You're insane!" Danny yelled. "Firstly, I would never give any of my friends lives in exchange for anything. Their lives aren't mine to give. Secondly Sam isn't even my girlfrie…"

"Cut the crap," Vlad interrupted. "I don't have time to stand here and discuss your love life. I'm not giving you a choice. You take Jazz. I take Sam and Tucker."

Danny shook his head. "No!"

"It's full out war then," Vlad said. "You take Jazz and I will make you wish you never set foot in the ghost portal and gained your powers. I will be down your neck so hot and heavy that you'll beg me to take her back."

"I can handle anything you dish out Vlad," Danny hissed. "Anything."

Vlad's eyes glittered angrily. "I've pulled my punches with you thus far boy! I won't be gentle anymore."

"You don't scare me!" Danny countered. He paused a moment. "Why don't you ask Jazz? Give her the choice."

"Because she simply doesn't know what's good for her," Vlad answered. "She's confused. She doesn't know any better."

"Then let her go!" Danny yelled. "Come, look into her eyes and ask her to stay. If she says she won't then let her go! You're hurting her! You say you care for her, but you don't care that your destroying her!"

Vlad paled a little then turned and walked to the door. "All right Danny." He said softly. "As you wish."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Jazz hid behind Sam as Vlad came down the stairs with Danny close behind. She was squeezing Sam's hand so tight it hurt.

"Jazz," Danny said as he pushed past Vlad. "Vlad wants to talk to you. Just be honest and then we'll leave. He can't hurt you and you're not staying here."

"Okay," Jazz said as she moved from her hiding place behind Sam. Vlad frowned deeply as he took in her altered appearance.

"What did you do to yourself my dear?" Vlad asked as he reached forward. Jazz stepped back and Danny stepped between them.

"I took my identity back!" Jazz hissed as she used Sam as a shield from Vlad.

Vlad closed his eyes for a minute. His shoulders dropped and a look of profound sadness washed across his face. "I know you don't remember everything Dar…Jasmine," he said softly. "But soon you will."

"I hate you!" Jazz growled. "Why can't you understand that? Everything has been an illusion. A sick, disgusting illusion! I don't want to be a part of your delusions! I want to go home! I want to live my life!"

"Jasmine," Vlad said then took a deep breath. "Don't you remember St. Tropez? You're telling me that wasn't real? Remember visiting the orphans in Costa Rica? That wasn't real? What about the little girl in Mexico who is waiting for your promised return?"

"I'm sorry Vlad," Jazz said coldly. "I don't remember anything and I don't believe that was real."

"But it was!" Vlad exclaimed as he moved forward almost desperately. Jazz moved and hid behind Tucker who stared at Vlad with wide worried eyes.

"It wasn't me!" Jazz countered. "It wasn't me. It wasn't real. Let me go! I want to go home!"

"Jasmine. My dear please…," Vlad began then stopped as Jazz gathered together enough courage to walked forward. Vlad stood still and turned his head as if he was expecting another punch.

"Here," Jazz said as she held out her hand. Vlad looked at her a moment then lifted his hand, palm up. Jazz dropped her glittering wedding rings in his palm then looked at him defiantly. Vlad sighed shakily as his hand closed over the rings.

"Your vehicle is in the back gardens. The shield has been disabled," Vlad said his gaze remained locked with Jazz's. Jazz nodded her head then grabbed Tucker and Sam's hands and pulled them with her out of the room and across the house.

Danny stood for a moment then began to follow. "Remember Daniel," Vlad said, his voice filled with bitterness. "War. This is war." Danny didn't respond as he followed his sister and friends out of the house.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

"For not remembering anything," Vlad called as he followed. "You certainly remember your way around well enough." Jazz didn't respond as she opened the French doors that lead to the back garden. The Specter Speeder rested not far away.

Vlad said nothing as he watched everyone climb into the vehicle. He kept his eyes locked on Jazz. She stopped touched Danny's arm and walked over to Vlad one last time.

The man in question stood motionless as she looked angrily into his eyes. "I want you to know," she said stiffly. "That you haven't broken me. I'm sorry for what ever it is you think you've lost. Maybe you need to get some professional help. You'll be getting a letter from my lawyer regarding our annulment. Don't fight it."

Vlad said nothing, he simply watched as Jazz climbed into the Specter Speeder. Danny looked briefly at Vlad then climbed into the driver seat, started the vehicle and sped away.

Vlad watched for a moment then said to no one. "You will come back to me Jazz. Mark my words. Even when you get home amongst your friends and your family, you'll never be able to escape me. Never."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

**A/N will be short. Nothing much to say, very little changed in this chapter. The next chapter is my favorite. I want to add a few things to it before I post it. **_**  
**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Don't worry the creep out factor dropped down to 2 in this chapter and the Awwwww factor hits a record 7.5. REVIEW…tell me what you think. And MAKE no assumptions on where this is going to happen. This also happens to be my most favorite chapter.  
**

Chapter Five

No one spoke a word the entire way home. Danny landed the Speeder in the back yard then turned and looked at Jazz.

"Open the door," Jazz ordered him through clenched teeth. The minute the speeder was open Jazz was out of it. Screaming for her dad.

"Jazz?" Maddie said as she was working with Jack the lab and looked at her husband who froze. They both turned to the door of the lab just in time to see a streak fly through the door and hit Jack, almost knocking him off balance.

"Daddy," Jazz cried as she threw her arms around her father.

"Jazz?" Jack said in bewilderment then looked at his wife who had her hand over her mouth, tears suddenly in her eyes. She walked forward and put her arms around her daughter and husband. Jack closed his arms around them and held them both as Jazz cried.

Jazz took several gulping breaths as shed wet hot tears against her father's orange jumpsuit. She could feel her mother pressing against her back whispering words of comfort and stroking her almost nonexistent hair. She felt safe for the first time since she realized who and where she was. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of her father as she kept her cheek pressed against his chest.

"What happened?" Maddie asked as she looked up at her husband. Jack shook his head then looked over at the door to the lab where Danny stood, his best friends ever present behind him. The boy looked shattered as he watched his parents comforting his sister.

"Danny," Jack said as he moved his arm. Danny took a deep breath and walked forward, joining in the group hug. Tears began pouring down his own face as his mother moved to accommodate him. Jazz moved her arm around Danny's waist and he began sobbing too.

Tucker and Sam looked at each other with wide tear filled eyes from their vantage point at the door, they were unconsciously clinging to each other and sniffling. Both friends suddenly felt like they were intruding on a very private family moment.

"We should go," Sam said as she squeeze Tucker's hand. Neither of them really wanted to leave, but it was the right thing to do.

"Sam!" Maddie called. "Tucker!"

"Yes?" the two friends asked in unison.

"Where do you think you're going?" she said sternly. "This is a family moment. Get down here." She moved her arm and indicated there was room to accommodate them beside Danny. Tucker and Sam ran forward and into the space Maddie had made for them and cried too.

Maddie locked eyes with Jack. A deeply disturbed, worried look passed between the two Fenton parents. Jack would have wiped away the tears running down his face, but he wasn't about to let go of his family to do it. He was just glad he was big enough to hold them all.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

No one questioned Jazz. They said nothing about her appearance and absolutely nothing about Vlad. Maddie ordered pizza. The family watched movies and ate and laughed and talked about old times, comforting memories.

"I'm tired," Jazz said as she yawned and stretched. "I'm going to go to bed." Everyone paused and looked at each other.

"I'm okay," Jazz told everyone as she made her way up the stairs. "It's okay to leave me alone."

"Tell me if you need anything," Maddie called after her then frowned and looked at Danny.

"You want to know what happened huh?" Danny asked.

"I want to know everything," Jack growled. "And then I am going to take a blaster down to Wisconsin and use it on Vladdy."

Danny looked at Tucker and Sam. He debated on how much he should tell his parents. Should he give them the whole story? Should he tell them that Vlad was half ghost and by virtue reveal who he was? No. It wasn't the right time.

"Apparently," Tucker said speaking for Danny as he recognized his friend's inability to talk at the moment. "Vlad did something to Jazz."

"Well Duh!" Jack said.

"Something ghostly," Danny added causing Tucker and Sam to look at each other worriedly.

"Ghostly!" both Jack and Maddie said with wide eyes.

"He brain washed her," Sam spoke up and interjected. "He had her believing that he loved her. That she loved him and that's that." She gave both Tucker and Danny a stern look.

"He told me that it's war," Danny said bleakly. "That he would get her back."

"I'd like to see him try it," Jack growled. "He dares show his face here and I'll tear him limb from limb!"

Maddie looked toward the stairs worriedly then jumped up and ran. Danny,Tucker and Sam stayed and looked at Jack.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Jazz threw herself on the bed in her room and sighed. She had no tears left to cry. She was home. She had escaped, despite what Vlad said would happen. And she was safe. She looked at her brother's ghost form sitting at the window and sighed. Of course, she realized she had left her sanity somewhere along the way. She wondered if she'd ever get it back.

"I think you need to do something about you hair," ghostly Danny said. "I think it scares your family. Jazz waited a moment then walked to the mirror. She gasped at the hideous site of her mangled tresses.

"Yeah," she replied. "Very scary." She dug in her drawers for a turquoise head band. It just didn't work to cover the mess. She went to her closet and pulled out a ski cap and pulled it over her head.

She nearly jumped as there was a knock on the door. "Come in," She said shakily. It was only her mother. She sighed and smiled and looked at the mirror.

"What did you do to your hair?" Maddie asked as she pulled the ski cap off of Jazz's head.

"I cut it off," Jazz answered with a laugh. Maddie nodded her head and seemed to produce out of no where, an electric hair trimmer and a large blue scarf.

"Let's see if we can't clean it up a little okay?" she asked gently. Jazz went to sit down and Maddie plugged in the hair trimmer. When she was done, Jazz had the equivalent of a crew cut. Maddie sighed as she rubbed her hand over her daughter's hair.

"What color was your hair before?" she asked as she examined the cut remnants..

"The same as yours," Jazz answered as she ran her own hand over her fuzzy head. "He had it permed too. I looked like I stepped out of your college year book." She laughed slightly and shook her head.

"Hmmm," Maddie said as she folded the blue scarf then tied it on Jazz's head.

"I had contacts too," Jazz said. "I guess he was trying to make me into you." Maddie nodded her head and said nothing.

"But I'm okay Mom," Jazz said. "I'm home now. Everything is all right." She smiled shakily and Maddie just looked at her.

"I'm sorry," Maddie finally said. "I always knew Vlad was a creep. I also knew he had a sick obsession with me. I never realized exactly how deep that obsession ran. I should have protected you better."

"You couldn't have known Mom," Jazz said. "It's not your fault he's a crazed up fruit loop."

Maddie laughed slightly as she rubbed her forehead. "For some reason I just don't feel right leaving you alone.

"I'm not alone," Jazz said as she pointed to a chair. "Danny's here. He'll protect me." Maddie gave her daughter a worried look.

"Danny's downstairs Sweetie," she told her gently.

"No," Jazz laughed. "His ghost half is here with me!"

Maddie blinked at her daughter for a moment. "What?"

"You know," Jazz said. "His ghost half? Danny Phantom. He's here. He's was with me before anyone came to rescue me. He keeps telling me that he's me, but he's just trying to be funny."

"All right," Maddie said as she hugged her daughter. "Tell Danny to come get me if you need anything."

"Mom," Jazz laughed as she shook her head. "I can't! You don't know that Danny's half ghost. You'd try to hunt him down and experiment on him. I can't send him to you." She frowned.

Maddie smiled, "Tell him not to worry. If he comes to get me, I'll know you need something."

"Okay," Jazz said as she crawled into bed. "I love you Mom."

"I love you too Sweetie," Maddie replied then left the room.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

"Jazz has completely lost her mind," Maddie said as she retuned downstairs.

"Why do you say that?" Jack asked.

Maddie looked at Danny a moment then back at her husband. "Do you want to know why she feels safe alone in her room upstairs?"

"Why?" Jack asked as he blinked at his wife.

"Because she says Danny is upstairs with her," Maddie said she looked at Danny who froze. "She says that Danny is Danny Phantom and he's upstairs keeping her safe."

Sam grabbed Danny's arm and he quieted her. Tucker put his hand over his mouth and Maddie looked at the trio thoughtfully.

"There's a ghost upstairs?" Jack asked and started to stand. Maddie made him stay seated.

"No," Maddie said. "It must be the way she is compensating for all the terrible things that have been happening."

"I think I need to go to my room," Danny said suddenly. "Sam? Tuck?" Two friends in question looked at Danny a minute then followed him to his room.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

"Oh my gosh!" Sam said as she sat down in her usual spot. "Jazz totally ratted you out!"

"But Maddie didn't believe her," Tucker pointed out.

"We've got worse things to deal with than Mom and Dad finding out about my ghost half," Danny said then filled them in on his conversation with Vlad.

"I knew it was too easy," Tucker said in disappointment.

"So what are we going to do?" Sam asked.

"There's no we," Danny replied. "It's just me."

Tucker shook his head. "No way are you going to be able to take him on alone."

"He's too strong," Sam pointed out.

"What are you going to do anyway, stick him in a Fenton Thermos forever?" Tucker added.

"If I have to," Danny answered. "Anything to protect Jazz."

Sam kicked her feet for a moment then said. "How long to you think we have until he makes his move?"

"He's probably planning right now," Danny said as he paced around the room. "He'll act quick. Try to keep us off guard."

"Maybe we should try to hide her," Sam suggested. "I can take her to my house."

Tucker shook his head. "Like Vlad doesn't know where you live."

"What about a ghost shield," Sam said. "One like Vlad has."

"Or the Ghost Zone," Danny said. "We could take her to Clockwork."

"Clockwork?" Tucker asked. "Why Clockwork?" Danny didn't answer. He walked out of his room and down to the lab.

**_XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX_**

Maddie and Jack stayed in the living room for only long enough to miss Danny and his friends as they stole down to the lab. They were a couple who were so well in synch with each other that they needed to say very little to convey their thoughts.

"To the lab Mads?" Jack asked his eyes shining fiercely.

Maddie smiled at her husband grimly and nodded her head. "We've never made anything but ghost weapons before Jack. I'm nervous about this."

"No need to be nervous Maddie," Jack assured his wife. "We're protecting Jazz. It's the right thing to do.

Maddie nodded her head as they disappeared inside the lab.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

**Ok show me you still love me even if the story is nuts. **

**Thanks. 1 – 2 – 3 – REVIEW!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry guys creep out factor now rises back up to about 9.7 I think. Maybe higher, depends on you. **

Chapter Six

"I am not a baby sitter," were the first words out of Clockwork's mouth when Danny appeared.

"But I need help," Danny growled as he floated in Clockwork's domain.

"Do not look to me as a solution for your problem. I cannot help you in this instance. In fact, if you knew what I knew you'd be begging me to fix time so that you'd never have taken your sister from your nemesis."

"What!" Danny asked in shock as he stared at Clockwork. The ghost was looking back at him expressionlessly as he changed from young man to old.

"Jazz is my sister," Danny said. "I love her. She needed help. She asked to be rescued. How could you dare to think I would leave her…."

"Daniel," Clockwork said gently. "Trust me. I would never steer you in a direction which would bring harm upon you and your timeline."

"What about Jazz? What about bringing harm on Jazz?" Danny yelled.

"Sometimes, we have to make…sacrifices for the good of the many." Clockwork responded. He moved to one of the mirrors on the wall and pointed. "Besides she was in no danger."

"Of course she was in danger!" Danny yelled angrily

"You're sister's presence in Vlad's life changed his plans" Clockwork told Danny. "Otherwise, this is the future you would be dealing with."

Danny looked at the portal. Amity Park was completely decimated. Not a living soul remained. Danny could see ghosts wandering about. The scene flashed to the basement of Fenton Works, the majority of the building was rubble. Danny's parents dead. Danny winced at the scene. The scene flashed to school. Everyone, Sam and Tucker. Dead. Danny's human form floating in the Ghost Zone dead.

Danny took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck. "What did he do?"

Clockwork turned grimly to Danny. "He unleashed a fury from the Ghost Zone which ripped through the very fabric of both worlds. Your world was flooded with unspeakable horrors and beings. Too many and too sudden to fight. Vlad could not suppress or control the result of his actions. He too perished, as well as your sister."

Danny opened and closed his mouth. "Isn't there anything else we can do?" he asked. "I mean other than letting Jazz stay with Vlad." Clockwork floated away and turned his back to Danny.

"Perhaps you would like to see in the past," Clockwork said and gestured to another scene. Danny took an exasperated look and turned his gaze to Vlad and Jazz standing on the beach.

**_XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX_**

"It's incredibly beautiful here Vlad," Jazz, who was wearing a blue sundress and a large sunhat, said as she turned and smiled.

"Yes," Vlad answered. "St. Tropez is one of my favorite places to visit." Jazz moved toward Vlad and he stepped away. He was keeping his distance from her. Jazz looked hurt.

"I never imagined I'd visit France," Jazz said a frown gracing her face, she turned away from the ocean and began walking back up the beach, the expression on her face showed her extreme distress. Vlad waited a moment then followed her.

The couple said very little as they returned to Vlad's villa. Jazz took off her hat and placed it on the large square coffee table and sat down on a big red couch.

"You must be hungry," Vlad said as he took off his suit jacket and draped it on the back of the couch.

"No," Jazz said blankly as she looked down in her hands. "I'm actually rather tired." It looked as though she wiped a tear from her eye as she stood and walked by Vlad. He took her hand and stopped her.

"Why are you so sad my dear?" He asked. Jazz looked at her hand in Vlad's she looked into his face. It looked as if she was going to say something, but she changed her mind and smiled.

"I'm just tired," She answered then bit her lip. Something was bothering her and she was looking for courage to mention it. Instead of talking she walked forward and put her arms around Vlad. The look on his face was one of discomfort, as though he was going to push Jazz away from him. He patted her back stiffly then put her a reasonable distance away.

"You should rest," he said stoically. Jazz's face grew sadder.

"Why did you bring me here?" She asked her voice full of misery.

"To rest," Vlad answered. "I always come here before I execute one of my plans. This one is going to be the one which finally exposes your father as a complete idiot and brings your brother to my…to our side."

Jazz blinked at Vlad a moment. "I thought…I thought you loved me." She said her voice was soft and revealed her embarrassment.

"Of course I do," Vlad said in annoyance.

Jazz narrowed her eyes and stepped toward Vlad. He stepped back then put his hands on her shoulders, forcing Jazz to keep her distance. She looked very confused. Jazz pulled away from him and started walking away.

Vlad remained where he stood until Jazz left the room and then he sat down and let out a deep breath, rubbing his hands across his face tiredly.

"_She's unhappy," Danny told Clockwork._

"_Not for the reasons you think," Clockwork said._

_  
"She's not herself," Danny countered._

"_She is herself, she is only changed by the belief that she loves him. Though, I think by now she is realizing that he does not return such emotions." Clockwork answered._

_Danny wrinkled his face in disgust. "She's upset because Vlad doesn't love her?" he asked in disbelief._

"_Look," Clockwork said as the scene changed._

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

"Why are you crying?" Vlad asked from the door his expression one of horror as Jazz lay curled up on the couch. She looked up at him and shook her head. He looked uncertain for a moment then sat down beside her.

"Just go away," Jazz told him. "Just leave me alone. I don't know why you married me."

"Because it is integral to my plan," Vlad told her.

"Not because you love me?" Jazz asked as she looked at him with wounded eyes. Vlad sighed deeply and sat down beside Jazz. He wiped the tears from her eyes and sighed. He opened his mouth to say something but then seemed to reconsider.

"Of course I love you Jasmine," he said then smiled stiffly.

"_He's lying," Danny said to Clockwork who arched his eyebrow at Danny. _

"Then why do you keep your distance from me?" Jazz asked as she reached forward and took Vlad's hand. He looked extremely uncomfortable. "I am your wife, yet you sleep in another room. You won't spend time with me. I cannot even touch you without you pulling away from me. I don't understand."

Vlad sighed in annoyance. "I don't have time for this Jasmine," he said. "It is not for you to question me, but to obey." Jazz blinked at him in shock as tears spilled from her eyes.

_"Look how he's hurting her!" Danny yelled. "He's just using her. This is disgusting."_

"Don't cry," Vlad said in annoyance. Jazz shook her head. A look of exasperation flashed across his face and he drew her into his arms and held her while she cried.

_"See," Clockwork said. "He's not completely inhuman." Danny make a rude noise and shook his head._

"I cannot afford emotional entanglements," Vlad said though seemingly more to himself than Jazz. She sighed then looked up at Vlad.

"Can you trust me?" she asked. Vlad gave her a strange look.

"Trust isn't an issue here Jasmine." Vlad answered. "There is just too much you don't understand."

"Then make me understand," Jazz told him angrily as she pulled away slightly and looked into his eyes. Vlad shook his head and Jazz sighed. She put her hand on his face and he turned his head away from her. He seemed to catch what he was doing and stopped and sighed. Jazz was looking at him with pain filled eyes.

"I'm sorry Sweetheart," He said soothingly as he hugged her and put her head on her chest and rocked her back and forth. "I know this is hard for you, but can't you just trust me."

"Not if you can't trust me," Jazz replied. Vlad smiled slightly and chuckled.

"Tomorrow," Vlad said. "Just wait until tomorrow and I will have something for you."

"A present?" Jazz asked as she closed her eyes and cuddled as close as she could to him.

Vlad smiled almost evilly. "Yes," he drawled. "It's a present of sorts." Jazz seemed to relax.

_Danny sighed. "What's the point of showing me this Clockwork?" he asked in frustration. "All I see is Jazz being mistreated."_

"_But you see he's not hurting her," Clockwork pointed out._

_  
"You don't see that she's hurting?" Danny yelled._

"_Can't you see that he's being honorable?" Clockwork asked. "Or at least trying to be. He's not taking unfair advantage of her emotional state." Danny grumbled under his breath._

"_All right," Clockwork said. "Lets move on."_

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

The scene again found Jazz curled up on the couch. This time she was reading a book as Vlad sat in a chair across from her. He seemed to be working on an electronic device. Tools were spread out on the coffee table and was cursing in frustration.

Jazz looked up at him and frowned. "Having trouble?" she asked. Vlad said nothing as he looked up at her for a moment, then began working on the device again. Jazz sighed then looked at her book then back at Vlad who was grumbling to himself.

She bit her lip then stood and walked behind the chair, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Maybe I can help you," she said.

"No," Vlad growled as he pulled away from her. Jazz didn't take no for an answer. She reached forward and took the device and the tools from his hands.

"Jasmine," he said warningly as he watched her sit in the chair beside him, looking at the device.

"What are you trying to do?" she asked.

Vlad gave her an exasperated sigh. "It needs to be calibrated to point two oh four three six, but it won't set. Jazz nodded her head as she looked at the device a moment then fiddled with the tool.

"You don't think that point two oh four three six isn't too high of a resonance?" She asked as she began using the little screw driver, twisting until the device started humming.

"What do you know about resonance?" Vlad asked. Jazz only smiled. She finished her work and handed it back to Vlad.

"Easy," She said. He gave her a skeptical look then smiled at the device.

"You're brilliant," he laughed.

"Of course I am," Jazz said happily. "My mother is Maddie Fenton after all."

Vlad's eyes glittered as he looked at Jazz. "Yes you are my dear." He smiled then put his work down and looked at her thoughtfully. Jazz raised her eyebrows and smiled.

"So," she said. "I thought you came here to relax."

"I am relaxing," Vlad said.

"You didn't look relaxed a moment ago," she pointed out. Vlad shook his head then stood and stretched. Jazz sighed and watched as he walked to the window.

"Come swim with me," she said. Vlad turned and gave her a surprised look.

"Swimming?" he asked.

"Yeah," Jazz said as she jumped up and walked over to him. "It's fun. Relieves tension. Exercise is not only good from the body, it's good for the mind. It will help you think clearly."

Vlad thought for a moment. "All right Jasmine," he said. "I'll go swimming with you."

_Danny sighed heavily. "Again, What is the point of this?" he asked impatiently._

"_I am trying to make a point," Clockwork said._

"_That Vlad is cold, calculating, incapable of even being able to feign being in love? Or are you saying he's honorable because he's not trying to make Jazz believe that he cares?" Danny shook his head in disgust._

"_The Vlad you see here is barely recognizable next to the one you met in Wisconsin when you arrived to take Jazz away," Clockwork said. "I am trying to show you what brought him to that state so that you can understand.."_

"_Vlad is incapable of feeling," Danny growled. "He was trying to manipulate the situation."_

"_Then continue to watch." Clockwork said. "I will show you more." Danny sighed and looked at the next few scenes. Each one showed Vlad working less on his maniacal plot and thawing toward Jazz. Clockwork showed many instances of the two having long philosophical discussions and ultimately becoming very comfortable with each other as they went on adventures, touring different regions of France. It did look as though they began to enjoy each other's company.. _

_  
Clockwork looked at Danny then slowed things down._

**_XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX_**

Vlad and Jazz ran through the door laughing to get away from the rain. They burst through the door and into the villa.

"Oh Jasmine," Vlad laughed. "You are a funny one."

"Thank you," Jazz said as she dried off her hair then pulled her wet shirt away from her body. "I'm a cold one too!"

Vlad smiled slightly then looked away from Jazz almost shyly. Jazz laughed then walked over and hugged Vlad tight. He smiled genuinely as he returned the embrace, even dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

Jazz tilted her face up to look at him. Vlad looked thoughtful for a moment then put his hand on the side of her face and pulled her closer as he bent down and placed a kiss on her lips. Jazz sighed as she wound her arms up around his neck and pressed herself closer. Suddenly the kiss was much more than a kiss.

"Stop!" Danny yelled and turned around.

_  
"Is there a problem?" Clockwork asked._

"_I don't want to see this," he growled. "I won't look."_

_"Then listen," Clockwork advised. Danny shot him a withering look, but the keeper of time was unphased. Danny said nothing else as he turned back to watch._

"You are so sweet," Vlad told Jazz.

"I am?" She asked teasingly. "Why?"

"Because you've made me do something I swore I'd never do!" Vlad told her almost gruffly as he searched her face.

"What is that?" she asked as she pulled his hair out of its usually neat ponytail and fanned his hair around his shoulders.

Vlad seemed to think for a minute. "I've fallen in love with you," he admitted.

Jazz looked confused. "I thought you already loved me," she said, she began to look troubled.

Vlad laughed. "You are brilliant, smart, funny, my intellectual equal in every way. You are the partner I've been waiting for all my life."

"It's a good thing you married me then huh?" Jazz laughed as she smiled into his eyes.

"I'm putting aside my work," he told her seriously. "All I'm going to focus on from this day forward is making you happy."

"Just being with you makes me happy," Jazz told him. Vlad said nothing more as he lifted Jazz into his arms and carried her down the hall.

_"Enough!" Danny hissed angrily as he turned his back. "I don't know what you think your doing Clockwork. If you are in league with Vlad or what. But I don't want to see this and I don't understand the point. This is sick and disgusting._

_Clockwork sighed. "I'm not in league with anyone but those who want to keep the timeline in check."_

"_I don't want to see anymore," Danny said. "You've seen Jazz. You see the state she's in. You see how crazy she is now…"_

"_He loves her," Clockwork said. "And that changes his plans and his focus."_

"_He doesn't love her," Danny growled in disgust. "Vlad isn't capable of love. He's a disgusting perverted psychopath! You can't manipulate time to make me see it any different."_

"_All right," Clockwork said. "Would you like to see what he's doing at this present time?"_

_Danny thought for a moment. It would be good to know what Vlad was planning. He looked at Clockwork then turned to see._

Vlad sat in a chair in his study looking rather unkempt. In his hand was a glass of amber liquid as he sat forward with one hand over his face.

_"And that's supposed to move me to sympathy?" Danny asked._

Vlad finally stood and picked up the device sitting on his desk. He pushed a few buttons then walked back down into the lab.

"Well Jasmine," he said to himself. "I don't need you to enact my plans." He closed his eyes and frowned for a moment. Then put the device down and then sat again. "But without you what does it matter."

He changed to Plasmius and moved toward the Ghost Portal. "But I will have you back beside me. I'll keep my promise."

_"What promise?" Danny asked._

Clockwork smiled grimly. "Trust me Danny," he said. "You don't want to see…"

_Danny growled in frustration. "I'm not giving her back to him."_

_"What more do I have to say to convince you?" Clockwork asked._

_"What more do you have?" Danny replied._

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

**Oh please don't hate me. I know this chapter seemed almost fluffy and sweet. I just wanted to show why suddenly Vlad had feelings for Jazz when we ALL know he loves Maddie. Of course there is more, but that's for next time.**

**So now I need reviews because this is disturbing and I need comfort. REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I must give credit where it's due, Crossover Fiend pretty much wrote the line about Vlad's change of focus not changing the fact that he's abused an innocent person (That was in old reviews btw..since old reviews no longer exist, you won't find it there...sorry). It was such a good observation that I snagged it from reviews. Please forgive me Crossover Fiend. **

Chapter Seven

Danny watched Clockwork angrily as he changed from old man to young child. He had hoped for some assistance from the keeper of time, but the ghost was plainly unwilling to help, and even advocated returning Jazz to Vlad.

"This is unbelievable," Danny growled as he floated back and forth.

"I am only interested in what is best for the timeline," Clockwork told Danny almost gently.

"All right," Danny finally said. "You showed me Vlad falling in love with my sister," Danny grimaced at that statement then cleared his throat. "But let's see Jazz right now? What is she doing?"

"You failed to see how truly happy your sister was," Clockwork began.

"Was! Was was was!" Danny shouted. He looked at Clockwork with an expression of deep frustration. "That was until the stupid drug wore off and she realized what was going on! Look at her Clockwork! Let's see what she's doing now!"

"I also want to point out Vlad's monomania, his single mindedness," Clockwork continued. "He is focused on Jazz. Vlad has been affected by vicissitude of Jazz being in his life."

Danny put his hand on his head and growled in frustration! "Speak English!" he shouted. "And show me Jazz!. Show me that she's not hurting? Show me that he hasn't hurt her! You won't look at her now because you know I'm right and you hate to admit it."

Clockwork regarded Danny calmly for a moment as the ghost boy ranted and flew around in agitation. "Calm yourself," the ghost ordered. "I understand your distress. You need to listen to me. I am showing you things which are beyond your ken. You could at least make an effort to understand and afford the respect required!"

Danny took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. "Vlad's intentions may have changed from one evil plan to something less heinous, but that does not excuse the fact that he has drugged, brainwashed, kidnapped and all around harmed a perfectly innocent person."

"All right," Clockwork said as he waved his hand. The scene showed Jazz curled up in her bed reading a book.

"I do not see anguish," Clockwork told Danny who sighed as he looked at his sister. She was wearing a blue scarf on her head and was dressed in her normal clothes. Everything seemed normal.

Jazz looked up at the window and smiled. "This book isn't boring Danny," she said. "It's very educational. I've lost a lot of time. I need to get back to my studies." She looked back down at her book.

"Explain that," Danny said as he pointed. "She's talking to me and I'm not even there." Clockwork had nothing to say. It seemed as though he was speechless.

"You've backed yourself into a corner now," Danny told the ghost. "You can't tell me she is whole and unharmed. You can't tell me she is happy and unhurt."

"Let me show you more," Clockwork said. "We have time. I want to make you understand."

Danny growled under his breath, "I don't want to see more."

"We'll make a deal," Clockwork said. "If I cannot convince you that your sister was better off where she was, then I will help you find a way to circumvent the course of events that would lead to the destruction of your world through Vlad's meddling."

Danny thought for a moment. He had nothing to lose, he simply had to remain unconvinced, he couldn't imagine feeling any other way. "Deal," he said.

"You are sure?" Clockwork asked and gave Danny the opportunity to take things back.

"I'm sure," Danny confirmed. "But I have a condition."

Clockwork seemed to smile slightly as he changed from an boy to a young man. "And it is?"

"We have to look at the not so good events too. You have to assure me you won't hide the bad moments just to make things look good." Danny told the ghost.

"All right," Clockwork said. "No creative editing. It's a deal."

"Good," Danny said as he turned expectantly, waiting to start. "Then I agree. It's a deal."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Jazz was laying on the beach, nearing sleep. There were few people populating the sandy stretch of coastline and it was obvious that she felt safe as she snoozed in her chair, a book near by. An umbrella shaded her and she had a small ice chest near by.

She had just about fallen to sleep when a white ball landed on her stomach, startling her awake. Jazz looked around in shock, blinking as a tall fair headed boy, about her age came running up.

"Wow," he said. "I'm so sorry. Pardonnez-moi"

"It's all right," Jazz said as she adjusted her sunglasses and handed him the ball. "Accident's happen."

"You're American!" The boy said in surprise. "We were all speculating."

"We?" Jazz asked.

"My friends and I," he replied as he pointed over his shoulder. He then rubbed his hands on his shorts and held out his hand. "I'm Derek Barton."

Jazz took Derek's hand and shook it. "Jazz Masters," she said then smiled and sighed happily.

"Masters?" Derek asked. "Really?"

"That's what I said," Jazz teased lightly.

Derek looked at her thoughtfully then said, "We're playing volley ball over there. We could use another player. Would you like to join us?"

Jazz thought for a moment. She looked over her shoulder toward Vlad's villa then said, "Sure."

Jazz spent the afternoon with Derek and his friends. She was having a good time but ended up fending off Derek's flirting. He invited her to join them at a local night club later that evening but she declined.

"Because of your father?" Derek's friend, Suzette asked.

Jazz blinked. "My father?" she asked.

"Tall, grey hair, very stern looking. Wearing a suit in this hot weather," Suzette said then pointed to the place where Jazz had been sitting earlier.

"Oh," Jazz laughed. "No. That's not my father. He's my husband." Suzette opened and closed her mouth a few times.

"I should really get back to him," Jazz said as she looked worriedly toward Vlad. She wondered how long he'd been sitting there on her chair. He didn't look pleased, but seemed as cool as a cucumber even though he was wearing his dark suit.

"_Why do I suspect that this is one of those bad moments?" Danny asked. "He's not going to be happy with her spending time with other people."_

"It was nice meeting you," Derek said as he gave Jazz a hug. "If you ever want to hang out again or anything, you know where to find us."

"Thanks," Jazz said then told the rest of the group good bye, and then hugged Suzette who looked at her rather strangely and walked back to Vlad.

"Hi," she said as she approached. Vlad looked at her blankly for a moment. She was unsure what to say. The look on his face bespoke of his displeasure.

"Who are your friends?" Vlad asked coolly.

Jazz smiled. "Derek, Suzette, Craig, Elizabeth and Brad," she answered. "I played volleyball with them."

"Yes I see," Vlad said. "And flirted with that tall boy."

Jazz's eyes widened and she blushed. "He was flirting with me," she said. "I was not flirting with him."

Vlad said nothing as he stood. "I think we should go inside my dear. You've had too much sun."

"_This is where he's going hurt her in some way," Danny said in almost anguish. "I bet you he forbids her to see those people again."_

"I'm fine," Jazz said as she followed him up to the villa. Vlad said nothing more to her. They sat down and ate lunch together on the balcony and still he remained silent.

"Are you angry at me?" Jazz finally asked.

"I want you to stay away from those people," Vlad told her. "I don't want you to see them again."

"_See!" Danny yelled at Clockwork. "I was right! He's trying to completely control her. How wrong is that?"_

"_Have faith in your sister's strength of character," Clockwork suggested. Danny muttered under his breath and continued to watch._

Jazz opened her mouth in shock then took a deep breath. "You're jealous!" she accused.

"I'm not jealous," Vlad denied as he wiped off his mouth and threw his napkin down on his plate. "I simply do not like coming to check on my wife and finding her scantily clad, gallivanting with strange men on the beach!"

Jazz nodded her head as if she agreed and continued to smile. "Yes," she said. "You're terribly jealous."

Vlad looked at her angrily. "Don't do it again," he warned.

Jazz narrowed her eyes. "Don't try to order me around," she told him calmly. "I am a human being independent of you. I will make friends with whomever I chose."

Vlad stood from the table and walked to the railing of the balcony. "I'd advise you Jasmine, not to defy me."

"I understand," Jazz started. "That you feel threatened. That you think some cute guy more my age is going to come steal me away from you or something like that. Or that I'll make friends and cut you out of my life."

"Jasmine," Vlad said warningly.

"_Clockwork," Danny said. "He's not going to hit her is he?"_

"_What would you do if he did?" Clockwork asked._

"_I think that would be a deal breaker don't you?" Danny replied._

"_Agreed," Clockwork said._

"But it's not healthy to try to alienate me from the rest of the world," Jazz continued as she walked over to Vlad and stood beside him, apparently unafraid. "I'm not going to allow it. I love you. I will always love you. Nothing and no one will take me away from you,"

Vlad stood for a moment then looked at Jazz. She put her arm around him and he returned the embrace. They stood together for a long time saying nothing.

"I'm sorry," Vlad finally said. "You're right. I'm jealous. I'm a fool."

"Yes you are," Jazz said seriously. "Now go inside and change out of that suit. It's too hot."

"Yes my darling," Vlad said obviously amused by Jazz's orders. She smacked him on the rear end and pushed him toward the house as she laughed at the startled look on his face.

"_Well wasn't that surprising," Clockwork said dryly. Danny said nothing._

"_Did she not say she would never let anyone take her away from him?" Clockwork asked at Danny's continued silence._

_"She may still have the same character and the same spirit," Danny answered. "But she's not making informed decisions. Anything she is telling him, because of the effects of what ever love potion he's used on her, is null and void. Any court of law would agree with me. She's not in her right mind."_

_Clockwork chuckled to himself for a moment, but at what Danny had no idea. He was just about to ask the ghost what was so funny when Clockwork pointed to the next scene._

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Jazz was on sitting on the dingy floor in a run down building with several kids all around her. Vlad was standing at the door talking to an adult.

"_This is a surprising change of scenery," Danny remarked as the room was an extreme contrast of the villa in St. Tropez._

Jazz was reading a book. Trying valiantly to speak Spanish and causing the children around her to laugh. She looked up at Vlad and smiled. He simply nodded his head at her and continued to converse with the adult.

She bit her lip then stood and walked toward him. The children followed Jazz begging her to stay and play with them, and so she played bounce the ball with them until Vlad came to stand beside her.

"Are you finished with your business," She asked as he helped her to her feet. The children all ran up and hugged their legs.

"Yes," Vlad said as he tried to extricate himself from the children. "The orphanage has been saved, as you asked." Jazz smiled at Vlad then ran calling for the children to follow her. Vlad watched in seeming displeasure as she played.

"_See," Danny said. "See that horrible look on his face. He's plotting something evil. I know that look."_

Clockwork merely nodded his head and gestured for Danny to watch. 

Vlad finally called Jazz and told her it was time to leave, they weren't staying in Costa Rica long. Vlad told her they would need to be returning to Wisconsin soon, but he needed to pick something up for a friend of his.

"_Drugs!" Danny announced._

"_Not quite," Clockwork said. "Nothing illegal anyway." Danny looked slightly disappointed._

"You love children don't you?" Vlad asked in a disapproving tone as they were driven back to the hotel where they were staying.

Jazz smiled as she leaned her head on Vlad's shoulder. "I guess I do," she answered. "I'd always imagined that I would have four or five. Though now that I'm older I can see the benefit of just having two."

Vlad opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to think better of it as he looked out the window. The expression on his face was profoundly sad.

"I'm afraid," he finally said. "It seems that I am unable to father children." He seemed to be pulling away from Jazz.

"Why?" Jazz asked. "Because of your ghost powers? Because of the accident in the lab?"

_Danny gasped and looked at Clockwork who in turn looked like he was going to laugh. "No Danny," The ghost continued to chuckle. "It has nothing to do with that." _

"_Oh," Danny said in relief then went back to watching._

"No," Vlad said. He said nothing more and Jazz didn't ask she simply sighed and leaned against Vlad he put his arm around her.

"It's all right," she said. "Maybe we can adopt the whole orphanage."

Vlad laughed then turned quite serious. "I don't know that I could bear to share you," he said almost bleakly.

Jazz looked at Vlad a moment then smiled and smiled. He looked back at her dubiously and she started laughing.

"What do you find so amusing?" he asked as he narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"_Uh oh," Danny said. "I know that look. Jazz is in trouble."_

"You," Jazz giggled then sighed. "You wouldn't be sharing me. We'd be sharing children."

"It's not an option," Vlad said coldly as he turned away from Jazz.

"My parents…," Jazz started then trailed off as a look of discomfort replaced her teasing smile. She put her hand to her head and closed her eyes.

"My parents," she repeated. Vlad turned and looked at her sharply. "Are wonderful people." Jazz stopped talking and looked at Vlad in horror.

"It's all right Jasmine," he said soothingly. "We'll be at the hotel in forty-five minutes. Just hold on."

"_The drug is wearing off!" Danny said excitedly. "Then you'll be able to see how truly she despises him." Clockwork looked at Danny a moment and smiled slightly._

Jazz moved as far away from Vlad as she could. "Where are we?" she asked. "What am I doing here with you? Where's Danny?"

Vlad sighed as he watched Jazz cower away from him. "There is no need to worry about your brother. He is safe and sound in Amity Park. I have no intention of harming him or otherwise disturbing his life as long as you are by my side."

Jazz blinked at Vlad for a minute then looked out the window. "Where are we?" she asked.

"We are in San Jose, Costa Rica," Vlad answered flatly. He wore a dangerous look on his face as he watched her clinging to the door in fear.

"What am I doing here?" Jazz asked. "Did you kidnap me? What's going on?"

"You have not been kidnapped my..Jasmine," Vlad said then paused as he watched her face carefully and considered what to tell her. "You are here of your own free will. I assure you."

"_Yeah sure she is," Danny scoffed. "If you call being under the influence of some ghostly drug, free will."_

"Then why don't I remember anything?" Jazz asked almost hysterically. "Why don't I know how I got here? Have I been overshadowed? I'd hardly call that willing!"

"_See," Danny said to Clockwork. "Even she points out the obvious. It's not free will."_

Vlad smiled grimly then looked out the window and watched the scenery for awhile. Jazz didn't take her eyes from him. She looked at the door handle then outside.

"I wouldn't advise trying to escape," Vlad told her. Jazz blinked at him. He sighed heavily and looked at her a moment. Jazz clung closer to the door.

"The door is locked for one thing," He said softly. "And secondly we are in a foreign country. Your traveling papers are all in the hotel. Trust me my darling girl. I would never bring harm upon you."

"Trust you?" Jazz nearly screeched. "Trust you?" She gave him a scathing look. "How in the world could I ever, ever trust you of all people? I would rather trust a pack of hungry wolves to lead me home safely than you of all people!"

Vlad sat back in his seat and let out a sigh. "I'm afraid my sweet love that there are no hungry wolves in the vicinity. I am your only choice."

"What did you call me?" Jazz asked in shock. Vlad closed his eyes for a moment then reached toward Jazz. She coward away from him, but he moved slow enough that she let him take her left hand. He pointed out the glittering diamond rings on her finger then raised his eyebrows.

"No!" Jazz gasped.

"I'm afraid so," Vlad answered.

Jazz blinked a few times as she looked from her hand to Vlad. "What did you do to me?" she asked. "Because I'd never, never, never in a million years…"

"Please," Vlad said as he stopped her. He grimaced in pain. "We all know how you truly feel about me, there is no reason to expound on those emotions."

Jazz almost laughed as she put her hand to her mouth, "Obviously there is a reason if you think you can sit in a car with me and call my your love." She wrinkled her nose.

"Your love?" She asked then shuddered. "That's just sick!"

"_Way to tell him Jazz!" Danny shouted._

"_She can't hear you," Clockwork said dryly._

"_I don't care," Danny replied._

Jazz flapped her hand in front of Vlad's face. "What are thing rings supposed to mean? Who am I married to? You? I'd just as soon die a slow painful death than ever marry a vile, nasty little wretch such as yourself."

"Yes," Vlad agreed. "I know." He looked at Jazz sadly for a minute and Jazz stilled. The angry look on her face softened. Vlad had already turned and looked out the window. Jazz continued to watch him. It was evident that her words wounded him and Jazz was a kind person.

She hesitated a moment then reached over and touched his hand. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to be so harsh."

Vlad laughed bitterly. "Oh but you did," he said as he turned his hand in Jazz's and held on tight. "And I would be a little disappointed in you if you reacted differently. Your strength of spirit is one of the things I love the most about you my darling."

"_Blah blah blah blah," Danny said. "Sucker punch him Jazz!" Clockwork almost laughed as he shook his head._

"Why am I here?" Jazz asked softly. Vlad pulled her hand and moved her closer to him.

"Because I had some business which needed my personal attention," Vlad answered.

Jazz sighed she was trying to remain calm. "Let me rephrase. What am I doing with you?"

Vlad smiled wolfishly. "You're my wife. Why wouldn't you be with me?"

Jazz grimaced then took her hand out of Vlad's. "Why am I married to you?" she asked.

"There isn't enough time to explain," Vlad answered. "Perhaps some other time." The car pulled up to a hotel and stopped. Vlad helped Jazz from the vehicle then escorted her inside and up to their room.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

"I won't hurt you," Vlad told her kindly as he closed the door behind them. "You've been with me for three months and I've never hurt you."

"Why?" Jazz asked. Vlad gave her a thoughtful look then smiled slightly. He walked over to a case on a table and pulled out a vial containing a pinkish liquid.

"Because I love you," He answered haughtily. "And it's your fault. It's something I will try to rectify, but for now I need you to drink this."

"My fault," Jazz asked as she looked at the vial then at Vlad and started to back up. "How is it my fault?"

Vlad laughed almost cruelly as he approached with a predatory gleam in his eyes. "Just drink this and I'll explain how it's your fault."

"No," Jazz said. "I won't drink that. No. That's how you've kept me with you isn't it. You've been drugging me."

Vlad tilted his head and walked closer. "Well it's not really a drug, more like a potion which alters your perception and memory a little. It doesn't change who you are."

"You really are sick!" Jazz hissed. She grabbed a vase from a nearby table and brandished it. "Come one step closer and I'll bash you in the head!"

Vlad laughed. "I'd like to see you try my dear." He transformed into his ghostly self.

"I don't want to fight you Jasmine," He said. "Just drink and everything will be fine."

"No!" Jazz screamed as she threw the vase at his head, but it phased right through him and he kept walking forward.

Jazz turned to run for the door but Vlad was already behind her, and suddenly there were three more Vlads all surrounding her. She had no other choice. She took the vile from his out stretched hand, took a deep breath and drank the contents in one swallow.

"That's my girl," Vlad said soothingly as he transformed back to his human self. The vial slipped from Jazz's fingers and he caught it deftly as he put his arm around her waist.

"Vlad?" Jazz whispered in confusion. "What happened?"

"You were a little ill my precious," he said softly as he searched her face and smoothed her hair. Jazz blinked at him dazedly and he kissed her cheek then held her to him, squeezing his eyes shut tightly.

"I am a little dizzy," She said as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Then you should lie down," Vlad said as he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the other room.

"_Oh geeze," Danny said as he covered his face. "You're trying to make me sick aren't you?"_

_"I'm simply showing you events as they unfolded," Clockwork said. "This happens to be a particularly noteworthy event or I would spare you." Danny sent the keeper of time a venomous look._

Vlad laid her on the bed and sat by Jazz until she drifted to sleep. When he was sure she was asleep be bent down and kissed her forehead then stood. "I'm afraid my dear," he began. "That my feelings for you have grown to an unacceptable level. I'll need to think of a way to change that." He walked out of the room and closed the door.

"_Wait," Danny said. "Vlad really loves her?. Or at least as much as he's able to love, or maybe is obsessed with her?"_

"_Yes," Clockwork said. _

"_But now he regrets it and is going to try to not love or be obsessed by her?" Danny asked as he shook his head in confusion._

_Clockwork cleared his throat. "Vlad has realized that he's in a little deeper than he intended and that everything he has built around Jazz is an illusion. He's trying to protect himself."_

"_Oh poor baby," Danny said sarcastically. "Are we done? If so, I'm not convinced at all. In fact I'm even positive that I want to keep Jazz away from Vlad."_

"_No," Clockwork informed Danny. "There's more. You'll need to be patient."_

"_Great," Danny said and waited for Clockwork to show him more._

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

**This is usually where I make comments and so on and so forth, and this is where I beg for reviews. I have no comment nor can I offer any apology for this chapter. All I have to say is thank you for reading and thank you for your reviews. Reviews are always welcome.**


	8. Chapter 8

**This is the last original chapter. Updates are going to slow way down after chapter nine, and the story will cease being written soley by myself.**

Chapter Eight

Danny sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He was sick of this game Clockwork seemed to be playing, and what ticked him off the most was that the ghost seemed to be enjoying it.

"Contrary to what you are thinking," Clockwork said. "I am not playing a sick game." Danny gave the ghost an annoyed look.

"Shall we continue?" The ghost asked.

"Oh sure," Danny said sarcastically. "Let's continue."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Jazz was frowning as she watched Vlad sitting at the table reading a newspaper. She picked at the plate of eggs in front of her for a minute then looked back up at him. He seemed to be ignoring her.

She bit her lip then looked out the window. "Vlad?" she finally asked.

"Hmm?" he responded not looking up from his papers.

"I'm going to go for a walk in the garden," She said. "Do you want come with me?"

"I'm sorry," He answered. "I do have important business to attend to, but don't let that stop you from going."

Jazz's frown deepened and she pushed her plate aside and stood. She bit her lip and she walked over to Vlad and stood for a moment. He looked up at her in irritation. Jazz fidgeted a moment before she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Vlad smiled slightly then turned his attention back to the paper.

"Vlad?" Jazz asked as she picked at an imaginary thread on his shoulder.

Vlad sighed and turned his attention from his paper and watched her for a moment. "Yes?" he replied then looked at Jazz's hand on his shoulder and raised his eyebrows in disapproval.

"Are you," Jazz started then paused and removed her hand from his shoulder. "Are you angry at me?"

"No," Vlad said curtly then turned his attention back to the paper. Jazz remained where she was and Vlad looked at her again.

"I thought you were going for a walk," he said. He didn't disguise his displeasure at being interrupted.

Tears filled Jazz's eyes as her hand crept back over his shoulder and slipped through his hair. Vlad pulled away and gave her an angry look. "Go," he yelled as he pointed to the gardens.

"_Wow," Danny said. "He goes from one extreme to the other doesn't he?"_

Jazz covered her mouth with her hand as tears began to roll down her cheeks. She looked at Vlad a moment then turned on her heel and ran. Vlad said something under his breath and picked up his paper. He fidgeted for a moment then growled under his breath as he put the paper on the table.

"It's those eyes," he said to himself as he rubbed his hands over his face in irritation. "They won't leave me alone!"

He found Jazz sitting in a flowerbed in the garden crying her eyes out. He took a deep breath then walked over to her. "I'm sorry my darling," he said as he offered her his hand. She looked at him for a moment then took his hand and he pulled her up and into his arms.

He sighed heavily as she cuddled into him. "I didn't mean to be so cruel," he told her.

Jazz pulled away and looked at him a moment. "You have been lately," She answered. "Ever since we returned home. When do you even sleep anymore?"

"I do not require much sleep," Vlad told her coldly. "You've been tired since we returned. I've been busy trying to attend to a few facets of my business I'd been neglecting."

"You can't spend any time at all with me?" she asked bleakly as she met his gaze.

"I'm sorry Jasmine. It's just not possible," Vlad told her. "This is how life will be."

_"Okay," Danny said. "So he's gotten himself in too deep. Now he's trying to push her away. Why doesn't he just send her home?"_

"_The operative word here, is trying," Clockwork responded._

Jazz held Vlad's gaze. "Have I done something to offend you? Is there anything I can do…"

"No," Vlad said shortly. "You've done nothing wrong." He sighed and closed his eyes as Jazz feathered her fingers across the side of his face. He was trying not to respond, but as soon as Jazz lifted up on her toes and brushed her lips against his, he seemed to have lost whatever he had resolved to do. He put his arms around her and kissed her feverishly. Jazz sighed as she leaned into him and…

"Oh for goodness sake! Clockwork!" Danny said as he covered his eyes. "I think you get a perverse sense of joy out of this stuff."

Clockwork chuckled. "Your discomfort is understandable. I'll try to be quicker in my editing of events in the future."

Danny cursed under his breath then said. "I don't want to see my sister make out with anyone, let alone Vlad. I'm going to need brain bleach after all this is over as it is."

"Shall we continue? Or would you prefer to go on about this a little longer?" Clockwork asked dryly.

"Let's just get to the point Clockwork!" Danny growled.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

"Oh give me a break," Danny growled as he surveyed the next scene of Jazz sitting in the grass with Vlad laying with her head in her lap.

Clockwork paused everything and looked at Danny. "I understand that you are under a great deal of stress. I also understand that many of the things I've shown you have put you in extreme distress as noted by your rudeness, but please show some restraint."

"You're right," Danny said as his shoulder's dropped, he didn't realize how tense he actually was. "I'm sorry."

The keeper of time seemed to take forever to speak again, finally he said, "What you are about to witness may make you feel very angry at first. I do question your maturity at being able to handle this situation, but you are about to learn something very important. I know that you are honorable enough not to misuse the information you are about to receive."

Danny gave Clockwork a nervous look then turned and looked at the paused scene of Vlad and Jazz. He swallowed hard then looked again at the ghost.

"I'll do my best to stay calm," Danny promised.

"Good," Clockwork said, then let us continue.

Jazz was sitting in the grass with Vlad's head in her lap. He was laying on his side, just staring into space wearing an expression which could only be interpreted as fear and pain. Jazz seemed oblivious to his distress as she ran her fingers through his hair. She was

reading a psychology book and smiling, seemingly perfectly content.

Vlad sighed and Jazz put down her book and smiled down at him. She finally noticed the look on his face and frowned. She blinked a moment then looked at her book. Jazz seemed to be thinking, considering something.

"Vlad," she said. "Tell me about your childhood? What was your mother like?"

"Uh oh," Danny said. "Jazz is playing amateur Freud. Vlad's going to catch on to what she's doing and tell her to go to hell or something."

"My mother?" Vlad asked his voice was cold and angry. "Why would you want to know about her?"

"Because I want to know all about you," Jazz said softly as she smoothed the hair along his ear. Vlad closed his eyes and sighed.

"There isn't much to tell Jasmine. I don't quite remember her," Vlad answered stiffly.

"Why?" Jazz asked. "Did she die? How old were you?"

Vlad shook his head. "No My Love she didn't die. As far as I know, she's still alive. She left my father and I when I was four."

"Where did she go?" Jazz asked.

"To be with another family," Vlad answered flatly. "People she loved more. She didn't love me."

Jazz frowned as she continued to stroke Vlad's hair soothingly. "How do you know this? You were only four. A child's perception of things isn't usually accurate. Maybe she felt no choice but to leave."

"No," Vlad said angrily. "She had a choice. I found her when I turned eighteen. I confronted her, asked her why she left me. She said because she didn't want me. I was flawed. I was like my father. She hated him. I was told never to attempt to see her again and that was that."

"That must have been pretty hard on you," Jazz said as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"I can't believe it," Danny said in amazement. "He's letting her psychoanalyze him!"

"I got over it," Vlad said then closed his eyes

"What about your father?" Jazz asked "Is he still alive?"

"No," Vlad answered bleakly. "He died quite a few years ago."

"You must have loved him," Jazz said soothingly. "I'm sorry."

"I did," Vlad said. "But he loved his business more. I came in tenth place in his life. I was raised by his succession of girlfriends. He rarely stayed with the same woman long. I don't know if it's because he got sick of them or if they could no longer tolerate him."

"Just when you got attached to someone they'd disappear," Jazz remarked.

"Yes," Vlad sighed sadly.

"So you were a good kid?" Jazz asked as she hid her distress and smiled down lovingly at her husband.

Vlad laughed. "I had to be. It was expected. My grades were exemplary. I was quite gifted. My teachers called me a genius, but of course I was a dork, a geek, a social outcast."

"That's hard to believe when people look at you today," Jazz said softly. "You're very successful."

"If I hadn't seen geeky college pictures," Danny remarked to Clockwork. "I wouldn't believe it either."

"Yes. I am," were Vlad's only words on that subject.

"Have you ever really loved anyone?" Jazz asked gently then smiled softly. "Besides me." Vlad turned so he could look at her face.

"Yes," he answered then sighed. "But she didn't return my love either. She was beautiful, brilliant, amazing, funny and everything I dreamed of in a woman. She was magnificent."

"What happened to her?" Jazz asked softly as she stroked his face.

"She chose someone else. Someone horribly wrong for her. Someone who couldn't possibly be worthy of her." He paused. "I'm not saying that I was worthy of her either, but I had the brains and could have given her so much more than he could have. She married him. Had two children and that is that."

"I can't say I'm sorry," Jazz told him. "After all, if it wasn't for her stupidity in letting you get away, I wouldn't have a chance with you."

"That my darling," Vlad almost laughed. "Is an understatement."

_"Well duh," Danny said trying to not sound too smug. "Especially considering that she's Jazz's mother!"_

"So then what did you do?" Jazz asked.

"Plotted," Vlad answered. "I plotted and planned to win her from the idiot she married, but she doesn't care for me. She thinks I'm a creep."

_"She doesn't just think it Vlad," Danny laughed. "She knows it! Like you said my Mom is smart, she sees right through you." Clockwork gave him a pained look so Danny shut up._

"I met her son though," Vlad said brightening a little. "He's a lot like me. He's bright and talented and has such amazing potential. I thought perhaps I could win him away from his parents, make him my son. I'd never wanted a son before. It never occurred to me how utterly gratifying it would be to have someone take after you. It was an added bonus that he was her son, but he hates me as well…with good cause it would seem."

_"Wow Vlad is the king of understatement today. I hate him with very, very good cause the ba.." Danny trailed off and laughed nervously at Clockwork as he rubbed the back of his neck._

_"Sorry," he said. Clockwork only nodded his head._

"It must be hard," Jazz said. "To always feel as though you are rejected. Do you think that perhaps, you have entered into relationship where you knew you would be rejected so you could justify your self loathing?"

Vlad sat up and looked at Jazz incredulously. "Self loathing?" he said I shock. "There is no one who loves me more than I love myself."

Jazz nodded her head a little. "And you wanted those people to love you, because you are so wonderful and so deserving of their care. But, perhaps you want to hurt them a little too? To own them so they can't leave you? Maybe it wasn't them you loved so much as you loved the idea of them."

Vlad withdrew from Jazz, the topic of conversation obviously making him uncomfortable. "I think," she said. "if you had their love, Your interest in them would wane. You'd want to own them, but still you would be empty inside."

Vlad's brow furrowed. "You are very insightful my dear, but very cruel for pointing this out to me."

Jazz shook her head and blinked at Vlad. "No," she said. "I don't mean to be. I'm just trying to show you that forcing someone to love you is hollow, without meaning, tiresome. I'm glad you found it in your heart to love me."

"Why," Vlad asked warily.

"Because you don't have to settle for an illusion anymore," Jazz said as she leaned forward and kissed the corner of his mouth then pulled a small distance away. "Because I love you oh so much more than you could ever love yourself."

Vlad took in a deep hissing breath then pulled Jazz to him and kissed her with an almost punishing intensity, then he pushed her from him, stood and practically ran away, leaving a dazed and confused Jazz in his wake.

"Ooo!" Danny said. "She struck a major blow without even realizing it huh?"

"It would appear yes," Clockwork answered.

_Danny shook his head. "I almost feel sorry for Vlad. I've always been sure that my parents love me. I know Sam and Tuck love me. To live such a barren existence like Vlad has, well I guess it would be a miracle if he wasn't totally twisted."_

_"Do you believe he is beyond redemption?" Clockwork asked. "Do you think Jazz could save him?"_

_Danny thought for a moment, "Maybe if the situation were real Clockwork, but you seem to be forgetting just like Vlad, that none of this is real. She doesn't love him, he's just setting himself up for rejection again." Danny frowned, he never thought he would feel such pity for Vlad._

_"I do not seek to anger you," Clockwork began. "But the potion would not work as well as it does if the potential wasn't there."_

_"That's only because Jazz is a great person with a huge heart," Danny countered. "Don't you dare try to sell me the story that her love for Vlad is true, because it's not. Even so, she deserves more and better than an emotionally crippled old man."_

_"But ask yourself," Clockwork said. "Who could give your sister more than he can? Can't you see the depth of his feelings for her?"_

_"Again," Danny started. "Not real! It's not real! You of all people should be able to tell real from fake!"_

_"All right," Clockwork said. "We'll continue."_

_"Lets," Danny growled. "Because I'm having trouble keeping my cool with this line of conversation."_

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Vlad seemed upset as he paced back and forth in his study. He paused for a moment then opened up his college year book. The book fell open to a very well worn page.

"Maddie," he said as he stroked his fingers over the picture. "I don't know what to do. I'm trying so hard to push her away. I'm trying so hard not to feel for her, but every time I look into her eyes, it becomes harder for me to remember that this isn't real." He paused then smiled.

_"Does he always talk to my mom like that?" Danny asked. Clockwork didn't answer._

"Maddie you've given me a brilliant idea." Vlad smiled evilly as he closed the book and put it back on the shelf. He nearly jumped out of his skin as Jazz opened the door. The forbidding look he wore was enough to keep her away.

"I'm going to bed," she told him softly. "I was just wondering if there is anything you needed before I go."

Vlad smiled at her a moment, then looked back at the book shelf. "Of course there is something I need from you my sweetest," he said as he moved toward her.

Jazz who had been standing at the door walked further into the room. She looked at Vlad expectantly. He stopped in front of her and picked up a lock of her hair. Jazz watched Vlad questioningly.

"Tomorrow," he said then looked thoughtful. "Someone is going to come and fix your hair."

Jazz gave Vlad a strange look. "Fix my hair?" she asked as she smoothed her hands over her long vibrantly red hair. "Why? Is it broken?"

Vlad smiled at her. "Trust me Jasmine. Do you trust me?"

"Of course," Jazz answered as she watched his face..

"Good," Vlad said then turned her around and ushered her out of the room. "I will see you in the morning then. Sleep well."

Jazz looked a little stunned as she was placed out in the hall and Vlad was moving away from her. "Wait!" she said in exasperation. Vlad turned, but he wouldn't look at her. She narrowed her eyes and sighed.

"Do we have to go through this again?" Jazz asked almost angrily. Vlad looked at her and sighed.

"I am a very busy man Jasmine," he told her. "I simply do not have time to hold your hand all the time." Jazz looked at him a moment.

_"Uh oh," Danny said. "She's mad. Vlad's in trouble."_

"You told me something different in San Tropez," Jazz said angrily. "And in Costa Rica."

Vlad looked at her a moment. "And now we are home and I have business to attend to. I cannot and will not spend my days entertaining you."

Jazz folded her arms across her chest. "And what about yesterday, when we talked about your childhood?" She asked. "You had time to talk to me then. Maybe it was too much for you. I think you're scared of me!"

Vlad's eyes glittered dangerously and he stepped toward Jazz. She narrowed her eyes at him and they stood glaring at each other.

"Why should I be frightened of you?" Vlad asked in a tone which would send most people running in fear. Jazz stood and faced him.

"Because you're scared I'm going to stop loving you, so you want to beat me to the punch." She answered. "But you're hurting me. Don't you care?"

Vlad shook his head. "Jasmine," he said softly. "I don't want to play mind games right now. Go to bed."

"Not without you!" Jazz said fiercely. Vlad tried to stare her down but she stood her ground.

"You are an infuriating woman!" Vlad growled.

"And you like it!" Jazz laughed as she took him by the hand and pulled him from the room.

_"Whoa!" Danny yelled. "Hold up! We're venturing into an area of extreme wrongitude!"_

_"Wrongitude is not a word," Clockwork said sharply._

_Danny looked at the ghost and laughed. "Whatever. I don't want to see this. I assume the purpose of this scene was to show that Vlad is still trying to not love Jazz. Okay I get the point. Can we move on now?"_

_"Certainly," Clockwork said. "Moving on."_

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

**I hope my version of Vlad's past wasn't too lame, I'm trying to give him a motivation for his actions and give him a little humanity. We're only going to remain in this scenario a little longer in fact the next chapter will take us away from Vlad and Jazz's past for awhile..Whew. **

**So can you review?**


	9. Chapter 9

**This is where the story ceases to be wholly mine and now belongs in big part to Everyone's Favorite Rebel Scum. If you thought things were good before, they are only going to get better I think, this story has been made so much better just from the hand of ****Everyone's Favorite Rebel Scum****. And, Mo thank you so much for standing between me and this story. I appreciate it, and so do my nightmares…now hopefully I won't sleepwalk!**

Chapter Nine

Jazz was frowning at herself in the bathroom mirror when Vlad knocked on the door. She put her hands to her newly colored, curly hair, and frowned discontentedly. She took one more sullen glance at herself and then opened the door.

Vlad himself seemed a little taken aback as he laid eyes on Jazz. He may have had someone come to change Jazz's hair, but this was the first time he saw the affect.

"You look beautiful my darling," he said softly, trying hard to disguise his dismay. Jazz smiled shakily.

"I barely even recognize myself," She said as she walked into his arms. Vlad closed his eyes as he held her for a moment.

"_He is one sick puppy," Danny said to Clockwork. "Look how upset Jazz is now."_

"It's good that you are unrecognizable," Vlad says. "I have many enemies and when we visit Mexico, it's better that no one sees you as you really are."

_"Oh lame excuse," Danny said. "We know you're trying to make her look like Mom!" _

_Danny frowned and turned to Clockwork._

_"Why is he doing that? I thought he cared about Jazz! Aren't you trying to sell me on that?"_  
_Clockwork only looked at Danny, then gestured to the scene before them._

"We're going to Mexico?" Jazz asked excitedly. Vlad smirked at her childish enthusiasm.

"Don't get too excited my dear. It's a business trip. I wouldn't bring you along, but I can't bear to part with you."

Jazz smiled happily. "Good," she said as she snuggled into his arms. "I don't want you to be able to bare to part with me."

Vlad closed his eyes and sighed. The melancholy look on his face contrasted terribly with the peaceful look Jazz wore. He kissed the top of her head then frowned as he fingered her new curls. Jazz sighed contentedly, and then looked up at Vlad. He gazed back at her. Of course her eyes hadn't changed. That was going to be a problem. Those eyes, bright green-blue, were the things he needed to be rid of. Those eyes held immense power over him, power that he could not allow her to possess.

_Danny rubbed his face and wondered how much more Clockwork was going to show him. Nothing was going to convince him that Clockwork was right, and he wondered if the ghost had completely lost his mind. He continued to watch, but his heart was not moved._

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

At Maddie's request, Sam knocked on Jazz's door. Sam had never really thought about her relationship with Jazz very closely before. She was always just Jazz, the annoying older sister. But she was _Danny's_ annoying older sister, and if Maddie thought she could make Jazz feel better, she would try her best.

Jazz let the younger girl into her room, then firmly closed the door behind her. She walked over to the bed, and laid back down beneath the covers.

"You know I'm fine, right?" Jazz asked. Sam shrugged her shoulders and sat on the edge of the bed, looking nervously at Jazz. Jazz raised her eyebrows and smiled.

"Thanks for answering your phone and talking to me," Jazz said gratefully.

"No problem. You know I wouldn't have hung up on you. Danny was kinda mad for a few minutes, but he got over it." Jazz grinned, opened up her nightstand drawer and searched around for a minute. She laughed, and then pulled out a handful of black licorice candy and offered some to Sam, who smiled and took a piece.

Jazz had just started unwrapping the candy when Sam asked, "What happened to you?"

"Jumping right in huh?" Jazz asked not looking up from the candy in her hand.

"Yeah, well I didn't think there was any point in dancing around the subject," Sam said as she chewed on a piece of licorice.

Jazz laughed halfheartedly as she toyed with one of the candy wrappers. "It wasn't _that_ bad I guess," she said tiredly. "He didn't beat me or anything." Sam nodded her head, but her smiling expression had been replaced by one of concern.

"He seemed like he didn't want to let you go," Sam said quietly.

"Well, he is crazy." Jazz replied as she laughed nervously. An uneasy silence ensued. Sam fiddled with her bootlace in an effort to distract herself from the matter at hand, but soon decided that it would be less awkward just to talk.

"So," Sam said as she shifted uncomfortably, "Do you want to talk about it or anything?"

Jazz sighed deeply. "I don't know...I'm still feeling a little strange. I don't think all of that drug has worn off yet either." She wiped at her eyes and looked up at Sam, who had the grace to not stare.

"I think I've remembered everything now," Jazz told the Goth girl. "I mean it's like one big dream, except I just feel…sad." Jazz shrugged her shoulders, unsure if her feelings were normal.

"You're not scared or anything?" Sam asked.

Jazz shook her head. "What I'm scared of isn't what I _should_ be scared of." She whispered half to herself. She paused and looked thoughtful for a moment. It was apparent that the events of the day had fatigued her; her eyelids were half-closed, and she yawned loudly before speaking again.

"I'm glad to be home though. I want to get back to my life. Get back to school…I missed all my finals! All that work for nothing! I missed the fall semester too, stupid Vlad!" She groaned, obviously agitated.

Sam laughed uneasily as she picked at the hem of her fraying skirt. "Why did he kidnap you anyway? I mean, what were his intentions?"

"I'm not sure," Jazz frowned thoughtfully. "I know he had something big he was working on, but he changed his plans."

"Why?" Sam asked. "I mean Vlad doesn't seem the type of person who would change plans for anyone or anything."

Jazz nodded her head. "He is really stubborn… but he's funny too." The expression on her face softened. "He's very smart. And once you get past the egotistical exterior he's very polite and kind."

"Vlad? Kind?" Sam scoffed and raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

Jazz smiled a little. "I know, weird huh? He doesn't see himself as a bad guy though."

Sam snorted. "What villain does? I mean, how many people go into the profession thinking, 'hmm I'm going to train to be a bad guy, cause being hated by the whole world is totally cool'? Not very many, I think."

"But he sees himself as good," Jazz said. " I think he knows he does bad things, but some how justifies them as right and good."

"Sounds like he's mentally ill to me," Sam replied softly as she watched Jazz with concern

Jazz nodded her head then rubbed her tired eyes. "He's complicated, my Vlad." She looked at Sam who was now looking back with an open mouth thinking, _Did she just say _her_ Vlad? Dear God, she must be worse off than I thought_.

"Uh, I think maybe you need some sleep. You're not thinking too straight are you?"

"I'm exhausted," Jazz said she frowned a little. "Do you think you can sleep here tonight? In here with me?"

"Yeah," Sam said softly. "I'm going to go get some blankets and stuff, talk to Tuck and everyone let them know where I'll be."

"Thanks Sam," Jazz whispered tiredly as she laid back on her pillows and shut her eyes. "You're such a good friend."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Vlad flew into the Fenton household with one goal in mind: to take Jazz back with him. He was fortunate that at even at three in the morning, Daniel still wasn't home. He floated silently through the house, finally phasing through the door and into Jasmine's room.

He was intangible and invisible; and yet he held is breath for fear she would hear him as he floated close. He smiled slightly; Jasmine was cuddled up in sleep with none other than Samantha Manson, Daniel's little girlfriend. He leaned over the side of the bed where his Jasmine slept, and carefully untangled her hand from Samantha's. He smiled as he slipped two glittering rings back on to Jasmine's finger, and stood there, just watching her breathe in and out.

It would be so simple, so easy, take her. But as he surveyed her chopped hair and the pained expression she wore even in sleep, he couldn't bear to disturb her. He touched her cheek and she opened her eyes sleepily. He braced himself for her to scream, but instead she smiled, genuinely and sweetly as she blinked at him sleepily. Vlad could tell she wasn't truly awake.

"Vlad," she whispered. "Why aren't you in bed?"

Vlad smiled sadly as he bent forward and kissed her forehead. "I have business to attend to my love," he told her softly. "Have sweet dreams."

"Mmkay," Jazz said as she snuggled down and fell back to sleep. Vlad took a deep breath and took her hand and removed the rings from her finger. He decided he needed to approach the situation from a different angle. He hated having Jasmine angry at him; He didn't want to have to work through her hatred to find her love.

Vlad was about to stand when the door opened. He quickly went invisible and moved away toward the wall. He watched in horror as Maddie crept into the room. She smiled at the two girls as she stood by the bedside. She tucked them both in then walked to the window.

It was a defining moment for Vlad. She had been his obsession for years, this beautiful violet-eyed woman. She sat down at Jazz's desk and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Vlad looked from Maddie to Jazz then back.

Maddie picked up a pen and wrote a quick note then stood and walked back to Jazz's bed. She smoothed her daughter's non-existent hair then looked around thoughtfully. Vlad backed up against the wall as he watched her gracefully exit the room and close the door behind her with a click.

Vlad let out the breath he was holding then looked at the note she'd written for Jazz. It said something inane about breakfast and love. Vlad's heart ached at the love part. Jazz was well loved, and he was glad. He made himself visible once more as he placed Jazz's rings on the nightstand. He was about to leave when turned to look at Jazz one last time and came face to face with a pair of angry lavender eyes and the high pitched hum of an ecto-blaster charging. Vlad smiled roguishly at Sam Manson who was sitting up in bed with the gun aiming right between his eyes.

"Good morning," Vlad said calmly, as if he were used to being faced down by an angry Goth girl with an ecto-blaster aimed at his head every day.

"Leave," Sam said, her voice deadly serious. "And don't you dare touch Jazz. If you do, I'll kill you."

Vlad raised his eyebrows. The look on his face as he bent down and kissed Jazz's forehead was cocky. He called Sam on her bluff and Sam faltered.

"Okay," Sam said, "So I let you have one chance. I'm not going to let you have another."

Vlad laughed devilishly. "You are a feisty creature Samantha," he said. "If my plans hadn't changed, I would think about bringing you with Jasmine and I. It would make Danny understand how much it hurts to have the love of your life ripped away from you." His voice had a very metallic, strained quality, as though he were stressing every syllable to make her understand what he had just said.

Sam gave Vlad an incredulous look. "Who is the love of your life? Jazz? You're sick! She hates you Vlad. She despises you. She wants to see you drawn, quartered and flayed."

"Is that all?" Vlad asked dryly. "Just drawn and quartered and flayed? Flayed? I suppose you mean my skin ripped from my body." He gave Sam a smile that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Yes, that would be interesting." He inched closer to Sam, apparently unconcerned about the ecto-blaster between them.

"I'll even do it my self," Sam growled through gritted teeth.

Vlad laughed condescendingly. "You are a good morbid little Goth girl, but I'm sure you could think of more creative ways to murder me than that than that. Gouge out my eyeballs and feed them to the pigeons, perhaps. Cut out my heart, still beating, and make me live my last moments in unspeakable agony?"

"All of that and more!" Sam hissed, though there was an unsteady quality in her voice. He was too close, his tall, lean figure casting a shadow across her face.

"You love Jasmine don't you Samantha?" He asked.

"Yes, I love all my friends." The girl answered angrily as she swung her legs out of the bed, keeping her aim zeroed in on Vlad. "And stop calling me Samantha!"

Vlad laughed, he seemed to be thoroughly charmed by her behavior. "I'm glad that my Jasmine has people in her life so willing to go through so much for her," He said then intoned deliberately. "Samantha."

"She's not yours," Sam hissed angrily as she edged toward the door.

"Going to call Jack and Maddie?" Vlad asked sarcastically. "You're only going to distress Jasmine. I was about to leave."

Sam blinked at Vlad in disbelief. "You're not taking her?"

"You're right," Vlad responded, the chilling smile back on his face. "I'm not taking her."

"Really?" Sam asked as she almost dropped her weapon in astonishment. "Why?"

Vlad sighed impatiently. "I don't want to stand here and have discussion on the inner workings of my mind with a little girl such as yourself. How old are you now Sam? Eighteen? Still pining after a boy who will never really love you." He smirked.

"Danny loves me just enough," Sam said. "I don't need anymore from him than he's able to give."

Vlad smiled bitterly. "You say that now, child. But when you're older and living in the cold emotional wasteland your life has become, when Danny introduces you to his fiancée, then his wife, then his children, then things will be different. You'll be standing on the outside of a Fenton family just like I do now, and you will understand me."

Sam shook her head. "I'll never understand you Vlad, because I'll never be like you." Sam spat venomously.

Vlad raised his eyebrows. "Are you quite sure of that, Samantha?" he asked silkily "I know about all about you. Your parents, you feel they don't love you. They don't make an effort to understand you. They try to push you into a mold that you don't want to fit into. You're all alone. Your whole life is Danny and Tucker."

"And Jazz," Sam added as she narrowed her eyes at Vlad.

"I always thought perhaps it was Tucker who would end up on the outside looking in," Vlad said, relishing the effect his words were having on the young girl before him.

"But maybe it's you. After all, Danny seemed to be completely disgusted when I referred to you as his girlfriend." Vlad said maliciously.

Sam blinked at Vlad. "He did?" she asked then shook her head. "You're just trying to make me drop my guard." She growled

"He told me with a sickened look on his face that you're not his girlfriend," Vlad continued. "You've been cast on the outside, loving him from the sidelines. Poor Samantha."

"Stop calling me that!" Sam yelled. "get out!" she was on the verge of tears, his words had cut her to the bone.

"Fine," Vlad said as he picked up the fact that he'd was just about to push the girl too far.

"I hope in the coming weeks, that you'll be supportive of Jasmine." He looked at the girl in question for a moment.

"After all, she does deserve to be loved and admired, even if you and I don't"

With that, Vlad phased out of the room, leaving Sam feeling a breathless with tears stinging her eyelids.

She knew rationally that everything Vlad said was a lie, that she didn't have to partake of the poison he spewed, but he had hit a tender spot. She took a deep breath and sat up the rest of the night, unable to sleep, just watching Jazz. She wondered if maybe everyone in the world had lost their mind.

While she laid in bed, staring at the shadows cast from the moon coming in through the bedroom window, Sam said a silent prayer that Danny would come back soon.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

**Questions? Comments? Then please review. Both ****Everyone's Favorite Rebel Scum**** and I would greatly appreciate it.**

**Updates will be much, much slower now. This is no longer in my obsessive hands, but at the mercy of someone who actually has a life outside of writing fan fic, so be patient. (Imagine how hard this is for me...I'm the obsessive one!)  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**I am so sorry that an update on this story has taken so long, I will explain in further A/N below.**

**This chapter has been completely written by Me, Nonny, but Everyone's Favorite Reble Scum will be involved in further chapters.**

**This story does not have a beta-reader (I'm embarassed to send it to my beta), so please forgive my errors.**

Chapter Ten

Jazz was laying on her stomach when she woke the next morning. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes were the two rings laying on the night stand. She took a gasp of air then clawed her way off the bed and looked around frantically.

She looked at Sam who was snoring with her head tilted back almost of the edge of the end of the bed, her feet were on the pillow. Jazz laughed a little then looked around warily.

She grabbed the rings then walked around the room. There was no sign of him even though she thought she could smell the very faint fragrance of his cologne. She frowned as she sat down at her dressing table and slid the rings onto her finger. She tilted them so the three stone diamonds glittered in the light. She figured she could probably sell them and fund the rest of her way through college, but as she took the rings off her finger and pressed them to her lips, the tears fell, she knew she'd keep them.

"Jazz?" Sam asked sleepily. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Jazz said as she quickly shoved the rings into her jewelry box. "I'm good. Did you sleep well?"

"Not really," Sam answered. "I don't know if I should tell you or not but…"

"Vlad was here," Jazz said. "I know."

"I don't know why," Sam started. "He talked to me a little bit then left."

Jazz turned to look at Sam. "He talked to you? What did he say?"

Sam's expression clouded. "He was just playing mind games. But I think he's given up on you."

Jazz's eyes widened. "Why do you say that?" Sam shrugged her shoulders and Jazz stared at her in frustration. She wanted to grill Sam and find out every word Vlad said. A knock on the door made both girl's jump. Danny walked into the room looking tired and drained.

"Hey Sam," he said as he smiled warmly. Sam smiled back. "Can I talk to Jazz alone a minute?"

"Sure," Sam said then stood. Danny took her hand and stopped her as she walked by. "Thanks Sammy," he said softly.

"Anytime," she replied. He let Sam go then turned to Jazz.

"So," Jazz said not looking at her brother. "What did Clockwork say?"

"He can't help," Danny answered. "But he did show me some things."

"Some things?" Jazz asked as she fiddled with a brush. She had no hair to brush. She frowned and put the brush down and looked at her brother.

"Yeah," Danny said as he sat down on the edge of Jazz's bed and fidgeted. "Like about St. Tropez and Costa Rica…"

Jazz turned a bright shade of pink. "What did he show you?"

Danny had the grace to blush as well as he looked away from his sister's penetrating glare. "Not everything," he said. "But enough."

"I see," Jazz said stiffly as she turned and looked at herself in the mirror.

"You seemed like you were really happy," Danny started. "I mean. I know it was because you were drugged…"

"I _was_ happy," Jazz said softly. "The drug just made me believe things that weren't true. That didn't mean I wasn't happy. As strange as it sounds, the only traumatic part of the experience was when the drug wore off and I realized the truth."

Danny nodded his head as he looked at his shoes. "You don't want to go back do you?" he asked then held his breath.

Jazz closed her eyes for a short moment then looked at the jewelry box where she put the rings. She wondered why he hadn't taken her home…no not home, back to Wisconsin with him. Did he give up? Was he going to let her go? How did she feel about that?

"I want to go back to school," Jazz finally answered. "I want to get my degree and move on with my life."

"Okay," Danny said as he relaxed. "I'll do everything in my power to make sure you do just that." Jazz nodded her head and held back her tears and wondered if she was going crazy simply because she missed Vlad. She told herself it was Stockholm Syndrome, nothing more than sympathizing with her captor.

"Thank you," Jazz said. Danny stood then walked over and hugged his sister.

"I'm glad you're back," he told her. "I missed you."

"Thank you," Jazz said as the tears spilled from her eyes. She couldn't say she missed Danny because she hadn't remembered he existed while she was gone.

"If you need to talk," Danny offered. "I'm here. I feel like maybe I went through things with you, so I understand."

Jazz smiled and wondered how much Clockwork had shown her brother, certainly not everything. She watched her Danny as he moved around her room and suspected that he knew much more than she wanted him to know. She burned with shame and embarrassment.

"Then you'll understand," Jazz started. "That I'll be okay. I mean it's going to take some time to get back to normal. I feel like I've lost a big chunk of my life, but I'll get back on my feet."

"Mom and Dad want to go after him," Danny warned her. "They're fully prepared to end his pitiful existence."

Jazz grasped at Danny. "No," she said urgently. "You have to talk them out of it. Please."

"Why?" Danny asked as he watched the frantic look on his sister's face.

"Because," Jazz sputtered. "Its not worth them going to prison for murder. They'd never get away with it."

Danny's eyes glittered green in anger. "Trust me Jazz," he told her softly. "They would get away with it."

Jazz was on the edge of panic. She looked at her brother frightfully then closed her eyes tight. "Promise me." She said urgently. "Promise me. Promise me that you'll keep them from something like that…that you won't do it either. Please Danny. Please."

Danny watched Jazz thoughtfully for a moment. He took a deep breath. "As long as he leaves you alone. I can promise you we'll leave him alone."

"Starting right now?" Jazz said worriedly.

Danny gave her a questioning look. "Okay," he said. "Starting right now." Jazz relaxed visibly.

"Thanks," she said then smiled shakily. Danny gave her a questioning look, but didn't push his sister any further. He felt so bad for her.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Sam was leaning against the wall, waiting for Danny to emerge from Jazz's room. She chewed on her fingernail nervously then smiled as she caught site of Tucker sticking his head out of Danny's room. She waved at him as she caught his eye.

"What are you doing?" He asked as he edged his way toward her. "Eavesdropping?"

"No," Sam whispered. "I'm waiting for Danny."

"He just got back like an hour ago," Tucker informed her. "He hasn't been to sleep yet. Looks terrible. Did you see him?"

"Well duh," Sam said then stood up straight as the door to Jazz's room opened. Danny stepped out and closed the door behind him. He looked at his friends in surprise.

"How is she?" Tucker asked as they followed Danny into his room.

"I don't know," Danny answered as he threw himself on his bed and covered his eyes with his arm. "Everything is just too messed up right now to tell. We have to give her some time. Our biggest worry is what Vlad's going to do next. When is he going to try to take her back."

Sam took a deep breath and looked at Tucker. "He's already been here."

Danny sat up and looked at Sam. He was already dizzy from exhaustion, so her revelation made him feel very ill.

"He didn't take her though," Sam told Danny quickly.

"Well that's obvious," Tucker said.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Danny asked as he looked angrily at Sam. She gave him an annoyed look.

"I'm telling you now," she said angrily

Danny sighed heavily and looked for a moment like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. "What did he say?"

"That he wasn't going to take her," Sam said. She paused knowing she couldn't tell Danny the rest of Vlad's hatred filled conversation with her. "He said that Jazz would need our support in the coming weeks."

"That doesn't sound too good," Tucker said worriedly.

"But at least he didn't take her," Danny said then took a deep breath. "At least we can be grateful for that."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Jack and Maddie Fenton had spent a great deal of time talking about how they were going to deal with what happened to Jazz. They decided that they couldn't just let what Vlad did to their daughter go unpunished.

Both parents spent the following few days talking to Jazz. She seemed to be better, to be settling down and talking more normally than when she first came home, though she did refuse to talk about Vlad and what had happened while she was with him. They allowed Danny and his friends to console their daughter while they planned.

It was decided that Maddie would take the Specter Speeder and confront Vlad alone. Jack had reasoned that it would be safer and better if they both went. If they both confronted the creep. Of course Jack wanted nothing more that to pound in Vlad's face, he felt very betrayed by his college buddy and his eyes were just opening to the wretched character of the man he called, Vladdy.

"We don't want to destroy him Jack," Maddie said softly to her husband. "We simply want to make him understand the consequences of his actions, and that if he comes near our family again, he will live a life of regret."

"So you want to threaten him," Jack asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Among other things," Maddie replied as she smiled grimly and checked the weapons on her haz-mat suit. "It's better that I go anyway, you need to stay here and cover for me. I don't want the kids to know what we're doing. They'll only worry."

"All right Maddie my love," Jack said as he put his arm around his wife. "But if you end up having to kick his butt…"

Maddie laughed, "I'll be sure that more than a few of them have your name on them Jack. I love you."

"I love you too Maddie," Jack said as his wife climbed into the speeder. "Be careful."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Vlad was surprised to say the least when he opened the door and found Maddie Fenton on the step glaring at him.

"Why Maddy," he said softly. "It's so good to see you. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

"Cut the crap Vlad," Maddie growled. "You know why I'm here. I'm not going to play games with you. I'm going to cut straight to the chase. Leave my children alone. Stay away from Jazz "

"Maddie. Maddie. Maddie." Vlad said as he opened the door further and stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter. "Please come in. Talk with me. Perhaps we can come to an understanding about this situation."

"An understanding?" Maddie almost shrieked. "I don't think you are understanding Vlad. You have no option. You stay away from my daughter or else."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Vlad said as he clenched his jaw. Maddie pushed past him and into his house. She walked into the nearest room with a chair and sat down and glared at Vlad.

"Why not?" Maddie asked as she sat and glared at the man.

Vlad sat down in the chair across from Maddie and gave her a long considering look. "You want the truth?"

"Of course," Maddie said coldly. "Are you capable of giving me the truth?"

Vlad frowned at Maddie. He wished she'd remove the goggles from her face so he could read her expressions better. "When have I ever really lied to you Maddie?"

"Just answer the question Vlad."

Vlad leaned back in his chair considering for a moment how difficult it was to make an admission such as this to Maddie of all people. His discomfort was three fold. On one hand he had always been obsessed with this woman, he thought he loved her at one time. On another hand, he was talking to Jasmine's mother and the fact that he needed to try and treat her kindly was not lost to him. If he had a third hand, in it, he freely admitted to himself that he shouldn't feel as he did for Jasmine.

"I love her," Vlad finally said then winced at the look of anger and horror on Maddie's face.

"You love her?" Maddie asked in out rage. She almost stood, but then forced herself to stay seated. "Do you expect me to believe that Vlad? That you love her?"

"Yes," Vlad answered.

Maddie shook her head in disbelief. "I don't even believe you're capable of such an emotion Vlad. I really don't. You forget how well I know you and your tricks and your games. I think the only person you can ever truly love is yourself."

"I loved you once," Vlad said admitting to himself that he was truly free of loving Maddie. It was something he knew for awhile, but he took a moment to examine the realization fully, it was truly amazing. What had he seen in her? "I was well and truly enamored of you, but you never loved me back did you?"

"Of course not Vlad," Maddie replied. "How could I? You never allowed anyone close enough to love you. All you've ever tried to do was control people."

"Yes well," Vlad said as he sat back. "But now I see how inferior you are to your daughter. I was attracted to your strength, your beauty and your brains, but you have wasted it all with a man named Jack. You've given up your dreams and your desires and picked up his as your own."

"That has been my choice," Maddie defended. "I have never regretted changing my life direction to sync with Jack's. Ever. I am happy. Jack has made me something you could never have done Vlad, he's given me free choice to be who I want and followed my dreams, it just so happens that my dreams are his dreams. So don't you dare look down your nose at me and try to tell me that I am weak or that I have given up anything."

Vlad laughed and shook his head. "Jasmine on the other hand, has a unquenchable fire in her soul. There is no changing her, no ruling her. No telling her what to do. She challenges me, she fights me."

"And so she should you creep!" Maddie yelled feeling sickened at the way Vlad was speaking about Jazz. "You brain washed her. You made her believe she loved you." Maddie leaned forward. "But she didn't Vlad."

Vlad closed his eyes for a moment. "You don't know that for sure Maddie."

Maddie shook her head. "How could she love you Vlad? Think about it for a minute. You're twenty-five years older than she is! What can you give her?"

Vlad gestured around him. "I can give her everything. Anything her heart desires."

"And what of your youth?" Maddie asked. "Can you give her that?"

"It doesn't matter," Vlad answered. "I can give her my heart and devotion. I can give her the best life has to offer."

Maddie growled in disgust. "She deserves better Vlad. She deserves so much better than that. She deserves to find love and happiness with someone who is just discovering the joys of life. She deserves to struggle a little and find her way and live joyously. You can't give her those things."

"But what are those things in the face of love? They are just the decorations don't you think?" Vlad asked.

Maddie sighed. "You're forgetting that she doesn't love you Vlad. You can't make someone love you. If you do it's just an illusion, it's not real. Jazz deserves better than that."

"I can't give her up Maddie," Vlad said almost desperately. "All I need is the chance to win her love…to prove that…"

"Stop!" Maddie screamed as she put her hands to her ears. "Stop stop stop! You do not get a chance with her Vlad. Even if you did you forfeited that chance when you kidnapped and brain washed her!"

"That doesn't stop how I feel and that won't stop me from winning her back Maddie."

"Oh I can stop you," Maddie said her voice shaking with righteous anger. "I can stop you quiet easily, but I'm giving you one chance Vlad. Leave Jazz alone."

"I can't" Vlad replied.

Maddie stood then delivered the blow that cut Vlad's argument short. "You can't give her children Vlad. You can't give her respect. You can give her money and things, but there is so much more that money can't buy which you are completely incapable of giving her. I love Jazz. I want better for her."

Vlad looked away from Maddie for the first time since she first appeared at his door. He sighed heavily and listened to Maddie's final words as she prepared to leave.

"I didn't come here to negotiate with you Vlad," She yelled as she ripped off her goggles and speared him with the rage in her violet-blue eyes, causing his breath to catch with the fire of her hatred for him. "I came her to warn you. If I find out that you have so much as spoken to Jazz on the telephone. Jack and I will be down your throats with everything we've got and we will make you regret the day you were born!"

Vlad followed her out of the room, then out of the house. She turned on him one last time. "Jazz deserves better Vlad. So much better. Leave her alone. If you really love her like you say, prove it to me. Let her go!"

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Jazz spent the next month being watched closely by her family. She was seldomly left alone . Her parents coddled and cuddled her and she spent a lot of time in the lab talking to her father, it was the only place she felt even vaguely at peace, but part of the reasoning was because he was the only person who would discuss Vlad freely with her. Regaling her with their college exploits most of the time, but she still found it comforting.

If she wanted to go out she went with Danny, sometimes Sam and occasionally Tucker. The only time she had to herself was at night, when she missed Vlad and questioned her sanity the most. It was in those moments when she had to resist the urge to call him, just to hear his voice.

Strangely, Jazz was with Tucker when the biggest surprise hit, in the form of annulment papers from Vlad. They were delivered by courier and Jazz sat on the couch and cried near hysterical tears as she looked them over.

Tucker interpreted the tears as relief, as he gathered everything she'd dropped on the floor. He was certainly relieved that Vlad wasn't going to fight to keep Jazz, and obviously he was going to do the right thing. Then again Tucker always tended to take things at face value.

The hand written note in the package instructed in Vlad's sharp script for Jazz to sign and have notarize the marked pages and send them back to him and he'd have them filed post haste. The note also informed her to be expecting another courier in a few days and was signed cordially, Vlad. Jazz cast a quick look at Tucker as she folded the note up and put it in her pocket.

"Do you want me to find you a notary?" Tucker asked. "Get this over with quick?"

"Yes," Jazz said with determination as she pulled herself together and straightened the papers. "Let's do it now. Let's get everything back to Vlad as quickly as possible so I can be free again.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Another few days later brought boxes of clothing and jewelry, all gifts Vlad had given her during, as his letter put it, her brief tenure with him. He wrote that he had no use for these articles and he was sure that she could use them, even if it was to give them to charity, it was all her choice.

Jazz immediately hid many of the pieces of jewelry away from the eyes of her family. For some reason she felt it was too intimate to share with them the gifts Vlad had given her which she'd treasured the most, because they had special meaning behind them. A few of the clothes she kept, the rest she donated to charity.

A week after that a representative of Vlad's attorney arrived and informed Jazz that she was now eligible to collect a trust which had been set up in her name. The letter Vlad sent this time read that it was deserved payment for the disruption he had caused in her life.

A week after that she received a letter from the Dean at Wisconsin State University in Madison telling her that they had been informed of her situation and she was expected for the spring semester. She could pick up just like she never left. She was also informed that her tuition and all expenses were paid for as long as she wished to attend the WSU, Madison.

"It's like he's trying to put her life back together," Sam remarked to Danny as they sat on the couch together after Jazz had read the letter from Vlad and fled upstairs.

"I can't help but wonder what he's up to," Danny said as he looked up at the stairs. "He told me this was war. He told me he'd never let her go."

"Maybe he had a change of heart," Sam wondered out loud.

"How can someone who doesn't have a heart, have a change of heart?" Danny asked as he looked at Sam.

"I don't know," Sam answered. "I think he really cared for Jazz and…"

"I think so too, but he's just too sick and twisted and.." Danny stopped talking as Jazz went running down the stairs.

"I need to get out of the house," Jazz said breathlessly then shook her head as Danny and Sam stood.

"No," she said as she held up her hands to stop them. "I need to be alone. I'm sick of being followed all the time. Everything is fine. There's nothing to worry about. Please just let me have some space."

"Okay," Danny said then watched worriedly as his sister ran from the house.

Sam took his hand and shook her head as though she knew what he was thinking. "Just let her go," Sam said. Danny sighed and sat back down.

**_XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX_**

Vlad was sitting in his lab trying to work. He was busy extracting, or trying to extract tissue containing DNA from one of Jasmine's strands of hair. It was frustrating work. The strand he was currently working on, he decided, had deteriorated too much. He sought another from the jar beside him then slid it under the microscope.

The problem was he needed a little conversation to work. He needed an assistant. Vlad paused a moment then walked across the lab and cued up Maddie program 4.1. He frowned as the holographic image stood before him, waiting for a command.

Vlad looked at the hologram of Maddie thoughtfully. He could appreciate her form, but Maddie was not who he needed. He sucked in a thoughtful breath then sat down at his computer and began to reprogram the program. He watched as the form of Maddie changed, became slimmer, more lithe and slightly taller. His fingers flew as he typed in the information and the transformation from Maddie 4.1 to Jasmine1.0 was complete, at least cosmetically.

His biggest problem was Jazz's voice. He didn't have any recordings of her, so he couldn't program the hologram to speak like her. As for her personality. It was fairly easy to program a little bit of Maddie and be satisfied with his work, but he knew Jazz so much better than he had ever known Maddie. He could recall the little nuances of her personality. Her wry sense of humor, her tendency to talk about statistics and worry about his health. The way she teased. The way she smelled…He sighed knowing he couldn't program her laugh or even get her smile right.

Vlad was on the verge of throwing the keyboard across the room when he stopped himself. He re-cued up Maddie 4.1 and then walked back over to his work, trying to extract DNA.

"Is there anything I can help you with Darling?" The hologram of Maddie asked sweetly. Vlad growled in irritation then looked up and blasted the device which projected the hologram and Maddie disappeared. Vlad sighed and looked through the microscope and did his best to focus on his new plan, and in so doing break the hold Jazz had on him. Damn her.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Jazz sat in the park and fidgeted as she played with the cuff of her pants. She had needed to be alone, but now she just felt worse. She sat against a tree and closed her eyes, feeling unsettled and upset.

Sitting in the park reminded her of when Vlad first approached her in the park at college. She closed her eyes and sighed. She had all her memories and most of her sanity back, though she really wished she could forget, but not for the reasons her family thought.

She missed him. She knew it was wrong but, she missed him so much it made her cry at night. Danny thought it was because she was scared or upset or mad, but it was because she ached to see Vlad, and remembered all the tender and sweet loving moments they'd spent together. He had been remarkably good to her and some of the memories made her heart ache.

It took all her will power not to call him. She told herself it was just the affects of the drug, maybe they hadn't worn off completely, but deep down inside she knew the truth, some part of her loved him as weird as that was. It made her feel terrible. Jazz couldn't help but remember the man she had come to know…and love. She was filled with a great amount of self loathing for that. She told herself the feelings would pass, but sadly as time went on, she only missed him more.

Jazz wondered what Vlad himself would say about her feelings, would he even believe her? Would he be happy? If Danny knew he would have insisted she was still crazy. He said Vlad deserved nothing, but of course Danny didn't know the things Jazz knew and had spent the time with him she had. How could he understand?

Jazz gritted her teeth in determination then grabbed her cell phone. She looked around, hoping Danny wasn't spying then flipped the phone open and dialed.

She held her breath as the phone rang. She closed her eyes. He wasn't going to answer, then suddenly his voice was on the other end of the line saying hello and so many feelings rushed through Jazz she almost started crying.

"Vlad," she said softly. She heard him pause, almost gasp on the other end of the line and she closed her eyes as she pressed the phone as close to her face as she could.

"Jasmine?" he asked his voice filled with emotion he apparently couldn't disguise or she was sure he would.

"Vlad," She said again, her heart felt like it was about to claw it's way out of her chest.

"What do you want?" he asked almost coldly. Jazz didn't know how to respond. It would be so wrong of her to say, "You. You! Come rescue me!"

"I need to talk to you," She answered then swallowed hard.

"Called to taunt me my darling?" He asked smoothly.

"No," Jazz said. "I need to see you." It was true, she needed to see him. Maybe if she saw him again, she'd be able to sort her heart out.

Vlad sighed. "You know what will happen if I make any attempt to come near you? I might be powerful in my ghost form, but I don't think I could fight off your parents and your brother all at once, especially in the rage they are feeling."

"I have a plan," Jazz said quickly, afraid he wouldn't listen to her. "Will you help me? I need to see you. Please."

"Is this a trick?" Vlad asked skeptically.

"No," Jazz answered. "I need to see you Vlad. Please." Vlad seemed to be considering his answer. Jazz closed her eyes and imagined the stern look on his face. She smiled slightly.

"What's your plan Jasmine?" he asked in obvious resignation.

"Send someone to occupy Danny. Skulker or Technus or anyone. I don't care. That way I can get into my car and meet you without being followed. Please Vlad."

"When?" he asked quickly.

"Tonight?" she responded.

"All right," he said quickly. They specified a little restaurant fifteen miles out of Amity Park, that way Jazz didn't have to drive far and could be home safe and sound before Danny suspected anything.

"Thank you," Jazz told him softly.

"You're welcome My precious," Vlad said then paused. "I'm sorry Jasmine. I mean you're welcome." Jazz smiled sadly then hung up the phone.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Jazz almost laughed at how the plan went off without a hitch. She had just come out of the bathroom. Her make up perfect. Her still shorn, but growing hair covered with a beautiful scarf and Danny in the living room waiting to grill her. Things should have been the other way around between them. She had always been the one picking at Danny's brain, but everything had changed now and Danny never seemed to let up on her.

"You look nice," Danny commented as he looked up as his sister.

"Thanks," Jazz said as she sat down. "I just felt like making an effort" She smiled then looked at the clock. At four fifteen on the dot, Danny's ghost sense went off.

"You stay here!" he ordered Jazz. She nodded her head and watched as he flew away. She waited two minutes then grabbed her keys and ran to her car. She was off…to meet with Vlad.

He was already waiting when she pulled into the lot. He was leaning against his black car, watching her. Jazz parked, ripped off the seatbelt, flung open the door, then leaped out into Vlad's arms. He was shocked to say the least.

"Jasmine?" He asked as he stood still, afraid to move. He looked around as if he expected someone to jump out and attack him. Jazz hugged him tighter. He frowned as he placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away.

"Are you all right?" he asked as he searched her face.

Jazz nodded her head. He smoothed his hand down her arm and sighed. "Should we go in?" He gestured to the restaurant.

"No," Jazz said. "I-I need to talk to you first. I need…" She looked up at him and wiped a tear from her eye. "I miss you." She said. "I know I shouldn't. I know I can't go back to being your wife Vlad. I know…but…"

"I understand," Vlad said as relented against his better judgment and put his arms around her and pulled her into a comforting embrace. "You're confused and worried. I understand." Jazz sighed as she placed her head against his chest. She relaxed, Vlad didn't.

"Can we sit in you're car?" she asked as she looked at the long limousine with the tinted windows. "I don't want our conversation over heard. I'll feel safer in there."

Vlad smiled as he opened the door for her and watched her climb in. "Strangely enough," he said. "I don't." Jazz laughed a little. She sat and looked at him for a minute he looked back worriedly.

"What did you need?" he finally asked, tired of waiting for her to talk. Jazz bit her lip then and contemplated her next move.

"I wanted to thank you," Jazz finally said as she looked down at her hands. "For arraigning the whole college thing." Vlad said nothing. He continued to look into Jazz's eyes, making her fell small and nervous.

"The thing is. I'm going to be in Madison and you'll be in Madison and…"

"No," Vlad said forcefully.

Jazz looked at him in surprise. "What do you mean no. You don't even know what I'm going to ask!"

"The answer," Vlad said stiffly. "No matter what it may be is no."

Jazz rolled her eyes. "I just want to be able to come see you once in awhile," she said softly. "I miss you."

"You'll get over it," Vlad replied flatly.

Jazz growled in frustration. "What happened to, "I'll never let you go Jasmine?" or "You will come back to me." What happened?"

Vlad stared at the girl before him blankly. He was trying hard to break the spell she had over him. Maddie had been right. She deserved better and she made him too vulnerable. The longer he was away from her the more in control of himself he was. He may have put her under a spell, but she had done something to him he couldn't allow. Even if she truly loved him, it was too much. Vlad felt he had to break ties. It was better to move on to more shallow pursuits, like his newest project, which if successful proved to be rewarding. He was better off chasing things which didn't make him feel.

"I lied," he said as he looked into her eyes and did his best to control his response as tears spilled down Jazz's face.

"You knew I was a liar didn't you?" Vlad asked silkily. "Nothing of our time together was real Jasmine. None of it was true. I was using you. You served your purpose. I am finished with you."

Jazz put her face in her hands and began to sob. "I've thought I was going crazy," she said. "I was going crazy."

"You'll be fine child," Vlad told her coldly. "Go back to college. Resume your life." The heartbroken look Jazz gave him pierced him to the core. He shivered slightly and in so doing betrayed himself. Jazz narrowed her eyes.

"Yes you are a liar," she said angrily. "You're lying to me right now! Why?"

"It doesn't matter. I think this meeting is over." Vlad answered gently then closed his eyes as Jazz reached forward and touched his face. He took her hand and moved away from her.

"You still love me?" Jazz asked hopefully.

"The point is moot," Vlad said. "I came here. I talked to you. We're finished."

"Just like that?" Jazz asked angrily.

"Just like that." Vlad answered coolly.

"What about that first night after I left. When you talked to Sam?" Jazz asked.

Vlad sighed heavily. "I had planned to manipulate the situation to get you back, but as I told you. I had a change of heart. Not only that I do believe your family would have my hide"

Jazz growled something under her breath, interrupting Vlad he paused then half smiled as she yelled, "I think you're scared. Not of them because I know you could protect yourself. I think you're scared of your feelings!"

"Let's not sit here and discuss feelings Jasmine," he said. "I'm giving you a chance now to leave. Be free. Live your life. Do as you please. I suggest you take it."

Jazz looked down at her hands. "I'm afraid I'll never be free again," she said. "I need your help. You owe me Vlad."

Vlad sighed in defeat. "Fine. You can come see me. When you are back in Madison. But, do not expect a friendly reception Jasmine." He gave her an angry glare and she nodded.

"Thank you Vlad," she told him then moved forward to kissed his cheek. He tried to move away, to prevent the brush of her lips on his skin, but he miscalculated and her lips met his own and he was lost. "Damn her", his heart cried as he pulled her into his arms, feeling her sigh and relax.

Vlad pulled away and looked into the blue-green depths which held him in a state of wretched enchantment. She blinked slowly and sleepily and he kissed her again, savoring the feel and taste of her, deciding that this was going to be the last time, so he should take his time and commit it to memory.

Jazz didn't know what hit her. One moment she was in his arms being kissed senseless and the next she was standing in the parking lot watching his car drive away. Her head was spinning and she felt disoriented. At least, she told herself that she could move on now. She wiped her eyes tiredly as she sat in her car then put her head on the steering wheel and cried what she decided to call, tears of relief. She could hate him now. Right?

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

**A/N: I'm sorry it has take so long to update this story. The readers who have been with me for awhile, know that, for the most part, I am typically a consistant and frequent updater. I've been waiting on Everyone's Favorite Rebel scum, and she's been a little preoccupied lately. I think you'll like what we have planned for you in the future, though I cannot give you a time range for the next chapter's apperance. **

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and expressed their love for this story, your continued patronage is what keeps this story going so, reviews are sincerely appreciated. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Yes, I am updating this story at long last. Several issues have been resolved. My co-writer on this story had to step aside due to extenuating circumstances of a crazy life, therefore, this chapter and the rest of this story is my sole responsibility. There are ideas and plot twists which do belong to Everyone's Favorite Rebel Scum, but other than that, this continues to be the ramblings from my depraved mind.**

**ur1crazedupfruitloop also must fess up to responsibility for this story, I saved it and am keeping it going for her and EFRS, otherwise this tale would be long gone and cooked into ashes.**

**Major thanks to ur1crazedupfruitloop for her willingness to beta this chapter.**

Chapter Eleven

Jazz did her best to relax and allow her life return to normal. Her hair grew out so that it drifted around her head like a red and gold halo. She held back some of the wayward strands with blue butterfly barrettes and decided she kind of liked the look.

She studied in preparation to get back into the swing of college and ignored Danny. It wasn't easy of course. Her brother's life seemed to have changed. The ghost portal was almost silent. He was left to his studies at Amity State University, which made him very grumpy.

Tucker's remark of how it was spooky to have so few ghosts in Amity Park was met with a laugh. A few ghosts escaped here and there, but it was hardly the ten or fifteen a day like as it had been in the past, and not one of them caused the havoc that they had before. The three friends had too much time on their hands, and that allowed Danny to focus on Jazz, who he worried about. She was different now. He could barely reconcile the quiet young woman she was now with his nosey know-it-all sister.

* * *

Jazz's return to college life was met with a great deal of angst and anguish within her family. She did her best to convince them that she would be fine. They tried to talk her into going to college at Amity State, but Jazz didn't want live under the constant watchful eye of her brother. She needed to be on her own to figure out who she was again, and what she was going to do with her life.

After hours of argument with her mother and father over the matter, Jazz tapped into the money Vlad had given her and set up in a very nice off campus apartment. Danny tended to appear at irregular intervals, almost like he expected to catch her up to no good. For the most part Jazz said nothing at his intrusions. It was always good to see him, even if his concern was a little constricting.

Jazz enjoyed her classes. Learning was one of her favorite pastimes, and she buried herself deeply in her books, they were her best escapes from the things, or thing…or more appropriately the person who haunted her.

Her social life was nonexistent. For some reason, she seemed to have grown out of the circle of friends she'd established before Vlad took her away. Jazz didn't like the word "kidnapped" or "abducted", even though rationally she knew that's exactly what he did, and really she wasn't interested in a social life. She just wanted to forget…everything.

She did try valiantly to forget about Vlad and just move on with her life, but thoughts of him assailed her constantly. She was aware of how close he was in relation to her apartment. It was a thirty minute ride to the mansion of green and gold, the place she called home for four out of six months. She'd driven by a few times, all the while telling herself that she was ridiculous and that Vlad certainly didn't want to see her.

Jazz had difficulty ferreting through her feelings. The first flush of anger and anguish after the drug wore off began to fade as soon as her memories began to appear. She wished she could go back to the craziness the drug had induced, that she could forget that Vlad, beneath the creepy villain exterior wasn't a terribly bad person. She told herself she didn't love him. How could she love him? She would concede that she cared about him and missed his company, and did her best to be logical about all her feelings Vladward.

She wondered what would have happened if she hadn't contacted Danny when the drug first wore off. If she had just stayed with Vlad until all the memories of her time with him caught up with her. Would she have stayed with him or would she still have fought to go home?

To say that Jazz wasn't angry at Vlad was untrue. She was unspeakably mad at him. She was angry that he disrupted her life and threw her whole plan for her future off course, but she could live with a change in plans, she wasn't so inflexible that she could deal with change. Besides, it was only six months, not years.

She was angry that he was going to use her for some plot against Danny, but forgiving considering he'd abandoned the plan, though now she worried about what evil he could be plotting against her brother next. She was angry that he let himself be weakened. He knew she wasn't seeing things clearly and yet he let her love him. Let himself love her in return, and in so doing left an imprint on her heart that she feared she'd never be able to erase.

It took her a month and a half, before she finally gave into the restlessness in her heart. She had to find away to free herself from Vlad. He held her heart just as surely as if he were still keeping her his prisoner. She knew she needed to see him and work through her feelings. He admitted that he owed her recompense for the time he stole by paying her way through college, but Jazz contended that it would take more than money to pay what he owed.

She fretted for sometime before finally contacting Vlad. He made it clear that he wasn't happy to hear from her and he reluctantly made an appointment for dinner on a Wednesday evening. Jazz could only hope that Danny wouldn't choose to show up at her apartment during the middle of the week, and find out what she was up to.

* * *

Jazz was nervous as she walked up the drive and up the steps to the large mansion, but she began to feel at home the moment she stood at the door and rang the bell. The thing which frightened her the most was that he might not answer, or would send her away. But he didn't. Vlad simply opened the door and showed her in.

It was strange, sitting across from a table from him again. He was extremely quiet. Jazz caught him watching her a few times, only to look away stoically. She wished she could figure out a way to connect with him. She pondered why she even wanted to. She should have been happy at his distance, but instead she wanted to fight it.

"What have you been working on?" she finally asked. "I mean what is your latest dastardly plot?"

Vlad smiled at her almost indulgently. "I have no dastardly plot currently in the works. I am simply maintaining my business interests." The truth was he had become frustrated with the plan he formulated, plus he didn't have any viable DNA to work with.

"Are you going to St. Tropez again in the summer?" she asked almost meekly. She wanted to beg to go with him. Her memories of the little villa by the ocean were very special to her.

Vlad looked at Jazz blankly. He didn't want to remember St. Tropez. He shook his head. "I am putting the villa up for sale," he told her as he surveyed the look of dismay on her face with curiosity.

"Why?" she asked, trying not to feel hurt. Didn't he cherish the memories as well? Why would he want to get rid of such a beautiful place, where they had been so happy together?

"Do you want it?" Vlad asked softly as his eyes truly met hers for the first time that evening. "I'll give it to you. Just say the word and it's yours."

Jazz half laughed, "What would I do with a villa in France?" She asked.

Vlad smiled. "Live there," he said. His eyes lit up a little and Jazz smiled.

"With you?" she asked hopefully then blushed and looked away at the amused look on Vlad's face.

"Of course not with me you silly girl," Vlad said as he watched the smile fade from her face. He suggested it to get her away from him. He looked at her blankly as she looked down at her plate. Her eyes filled with tears and he bit back the soft feeling of remorse at hurting her.

"I have no use for a home in France," Jazz said in a sadly resigned voice as she mentally let go of the villa. Maybe it was a good thing. "I suppose if you're never going to use it again, you should sell it." She picked up her fork and fiddled with the tines before looking up at Vlad again. He smiled slightly at her and she sighed.

The silence between them was awkward. Jazz tried to think of a million ways to make him talk, to melt his cool demeanor. She wondered for the millionth time if she wasn't obsessed with him. The thought almost made her laugh. Imagine the absurdity of being obsessed with Vlad, but in truth, it was the furthest thing from being funny she could think of.

"It's getting late," Vlad finally said. "Shouldn't you be leaving?" Jazz gave him a thoughtful look.

"Do you want me to?" She asked.

"Yes," He answered then immediately regretted the harshness of his tone as her cheerful expression fell. No he didn't want her to leave. He wanted her to stay, but he didn't wish to feel the way he felt and he was angry. He was angry at seeing her and having the emotions he felt he'd successfully cut off, stirred to life.

"I'll walk you to your car," Vlad said as he stood. He offered her his hand then realized too late that it was a mistake to touch her. He tried to move away but her hand was already in his. She was already standing. Her eyes had already captured him. He hated that her eyes, the color of the Caribbean sea, moved him to such emotion.

Jazz took a deep breath as she stood close to Vlad. It was so hard for her not to just lean into him. Not to reach up and caress his face. She knew his weaknesses. She wondered how hard it would be to break down the defenses he'd put up against her. Did she want to? Why? What would happen if she did?

She smiled slightly then adjusted his tie. He winced back slightly as if he was expecting something else and feeling the defenses he thought he'd built, crumble. He swallowed hard and put on a very stern expression.

"See what happens when I'm not around," she said almost absently. "There is no one to straighten your tie." She looked back up into his eyes and almost stepped away in fear from the intense expression on his face.

"Jasmine," he said on an almost tortured breath then pulled her close to him, bent down his head and almost kissed her. Jazz sighed as she put her arms around him and pressed herself close, willing him to hold her.

He held her in a tight but gentle embrace, and she could feel him shaking. Jazz knew this wasn't something he wanted to be doing, and she couldn't help but revel in her power and the joy of being held so lovingly by him. She wanted to talk, to tell him she missed him, but she was afraid. She had just gathered the courage to speak when her cell phone rang. Both she and Vlad froze.

"It's Danny," Jazz whispered. She and Vlad shared a worried glance then she scrambled to reach her cell phone.

Vlad held her close and listened to the conversation with a worried expression on his face as she answered. "Hi, Danny." He felt her tense as Danny spoke.

"I didn't know you were my keeper," Jazz said dryly. "I didn't know I had to check in with you all the time."

"Of course I'm not home. Some friends and I went out."

"No you don't need to come over. I'm fine."

"No I'm not drunk."

"Yes I'll be home soon. I'll call when I get there."

Jazz hung up the phone and looked at Vlad briefly. "I need to go," she said as she extracted herself from his arms. She had kind of been hoping…well she didn't know what she was hoping, she did know she was reluctant to leave.

"It's all right," Vlad told her gently. If Danny hadn't called and rescued her, he knew he'd have kissed her, and then they both would have been lost.

Vlad walked her to her car, allowing her to kiss his cheek, then admonishing her to please drive safely. She asked if she could call him and get together again tomorrow; he agreed reluctantly then waved as she drove away with a sad smile on her face. He closed his eyes and realized what a fool he was. No matter what he did, she had some strange power of him and he couldn't deny her anything she wanted, he only hoped she'd never realize that, or better yet, never ask anything of him.

* * *

Danny narrowed his eyes as he watched Jazz drive up to her building and walk tiredly into her apartment. He flew down and materialized. Jazz was just coming back from the kitchen humming to herself. She saw Danny and nearly jumped from her skin.

"Danny!" She yelled. "What the heck are you doing here? Why can't you knock or something?"

"I was worried about you," Danny said as he searched her face. "You just didn't sound right when I talked to you earlier."

Jazz gave him a look of annoyance. "I'm fine Danny. Look at me. Do I look like I'm having problems? Do I look scared? Do I look unhappy?"

"You look kinda mad," Danny remarked.

"You need to leave me alone. I can't have you here at all hours of the day breathing down my neck! I think I'm doing well, but you are constantly reminding me of everything and making it difficult to move on!"

Danny put up his hands, "All right I'm sorry."

"I want you to call next time," Jazz demanded. "Next time you come over, I want you to call. What if I had company? Hmm?"

Danny smirked. "Are you planning on having company Jazz?" He relaxed as he watched his sister blush. Maybe she was going to be okay, especially if she was dating.

"Who is he?" Danny asked.

"Who?" Jazz asked her eyes going wide.

"The guy you're seeing," Danny replied. "Who is he?"

Jazz narrowed her eyes at her brother. "That is none of your business. You're driving me insane."

Danny had the decency to look ashamed. "All right," he said. "No visits unless I call first."

"Thank you," Jazz said in relief.

Danny stayed with her for a few hours. She was glad to have his company, otherwise she would have sat and thought about Vlad, and she decided that dwelling on things was counterproductive.

She had hoped that seeing him again would ease the ache in her heart. Well, it had, but not in the right way. She felt like she was being held hostage, as soon as she was about to part company with him, she knew she needed to see him again. How could she escape this? She needed to talk to someone who would understand, but…who other than Danny and his friends, could possibly understand the ghostly aspects of her situation? A licensed therapist would think she'd gone insane. She laughed at her thoughts, maybe she had.

* * *

Vlad smiled grimly as he stood over Jazz as she slept. He made an effort to find out where she lived the moment he heard she returned to Madison. He'd never given into the urge to intrude upon her until now. He was after something and he needed it right away. He didn't want to wait.

In the form of Plasmius he floated to Jazz's bedside. He watched her for a few minutes, resisting the urge to smooth her hair and tuck her in. He smiled as she smiled in her dreams then sighed heavily.

"I came here for a specific reason," he reminded himself, not to stand and admire the young woman as she slept. He stayed invisible as he carefully opened her mouth. He used a tiny scraping device to swath tissue from the inside of her mouth. It was quick, painless and was a sure fire way to obtain the DNA he needed.

Vlad placed the sample in a vial, capped it, put it in his pocket then turned back to Jasmine. He burned and ached to wake her up. He wanted to crawl in bed with her and….He stopped the thought. No. He knew he was going to have to let her go. He had every intention of freeing himself from her. Of course, that didn't mean he wouldn't always love her, it just meant he would be free of her spell.

It was tough for Vlad, being torn between his love for the beautiful creature sleeping before him and the darker callings of is heart. He'd only really wanted one thing all his life and somehow he'd found it. Cruelly though, he knew that Maddie had been right. She deserved better. She deserved so much more than he could ever give her.

Vlad knelt down beside her bed and continued to watch her sleep. He had a plan and it would hurt her. He wanted to at the very least wait until his experiment would work before pushing her away for good, he couldn't bare to walk back to the barren existence he knew before Jasmine entered his life. As soon as he was successful, he planned on cutting ties with her completely, he would break her heart, and his own. He would make her hate him. Show her his true colors. He knew her heart so well, she would meet his plans with such distaste. He reached forward and gently caressed her face. She should be grateful that he was even letting her live, that, was love.

* * *

Vlad was giddy with excitement as he reviewed the information on the results from Jasmine's DNA. The moment he got home he flew to his lab and began working. It was the truth that he required little sleep and it was a tacit understanding with himself that he would work non-stop. He wouldn't be able to rest until he was insured of success.

Even though he knew he could obtain more tissue samples from Jasmine, he would rather that everything work out the first time so he didn't have to go back again and again and risk being caught.

All his trials and simulations showed that his plan would work. He decided to go through with the experiment, pleased that the sample had proven viable and compatible with his intentions.

Vlad worked tirelessly for most of the day, it wasn't until later that afternoon that his intensely focused concentration was broken. He was irritated as the phone rang. Who could be disturbing him? He had given orders that he be left entirely alone. He was prepared to blast the caller with an angry tirade when he realized it was Jasmine on the other end of the line.

He closed his eyes as he listened to her voice. It was so bittersweet knowing that soon he would cut his ties with her completely. Her voice was like a caress or a oasis in the desert. The vibrant sound of her laughter illuminated his soul, and insomuch as she could heal him, she wounded him. He loved her and hated her all at once, wanted to protect and destroy her. Poor Jasmine had no clue how close to danger she let her heart lie.

"I apologize Jasmine," Vlad said as his eyes scanned information and he held the phone to his ear. "I have been caught up in some very important work. I hope you don't mind if I give you a rain check. He smiled slightly as he listened to the small irritated sigh on the other end of the line.

"Yes I mind," Jazz said softly. "I don't want to take a rain check."

"I simply cannot tear myself away," Vlad told her as he made a few notations to his work. "Perhaps some other time."

"I know what you're doing!" Jazz accused in a tone which made his blood run cold. He gripped the phone tightly and was about to make a statement of denial when she continued. "You're trying to push me away."

Vlad smiled slightly in relief. How could she possibly know what he was planning? "I can assure you my darling," he said smoothly. "That is not the case."

"I'll come see you," Jazz said. "I'll be there in thirty minutes." Vlad raised his voice to stop her, but she'd already hung up. He was irritated by the fact that he didn't have her cell phone number. He growled something under his breath then left the lab and prepared for Jazz's arrival.

* * *

The next afternoon, Jazz sat at a table in the Student Union, catching up on her reading for her next class. She was thinking about the prior evening and Vlad. She knew she'd disturbed something he was working on. At first, he had been eager to get rid of her, to speed her on her way. His attitude had been cold, bordering on cruel. Jazz tucked a nonexistent lock of hair behind her ear and smiled.

She had such power over Vlad, she couldn't help but test and push. With a few well chosen words, a sweet smile, and a touch of her hand on his arm, she had melted his frosty exterior. It was trilling to have access to the depths of Vlad's heart, even though it was against his will, he was deeper than people gave him credit for.

But, Jazz sighed, her reason for visiting Vlad wasn't to torment him. It was to get over him. She knew she needed to see him in order to do that, otherwise she just romanticized him and ignored the fact that he really could be a jerk.

He had been sufficiently jerky at the beginning of yesterday evening, but then his demeanor changed, and he was kind and sweet, and Jazz loved him for it, and hated herself.

She was just about to gather her books together and leave, when someone sat down beside her. She blinked at the youthful man with blondish hair and green eyes, sitting beside her smiling. Did she know him? Yes. He was in several of her classes. Jazz searched her mind for his name. Alex? No. Anthony? No…

"Pete," he told her and smiled, as if he could read her mind.

"Hi, Pete," Jazz said as she returned the friendly smile. "Can I help you with something?"

Pete looked at Jazz thoughtfully. "Yeah," he said, then cleared his throat. "You can." Jazz looked at him pleasantly and waited. He seemed to stumble as he looked down at his hands.

"Do you need to see my notes from Sociology?" she asked hoping to help him say whatever he was trying to say.

"No," Pete said then took a deep breath. "I need you to go out with me. Tonight. To dinner, maybe a movie." He smiled hopefully and Jazz looked at him thoughtfully.

"You need me to?" Jazz asked.

Peter gave her a charmingly crooked grin. "Yeah. Don't say no. It took me three weeks to get the courage to ask."

"On a date?" Jazz questioned as she smiled.

"Yeah," Pete said nervously. "So will you? It's Friday, the perfect night for a date." Jazz took a deep breath and looked down at the book she was reading. Her plans for the evening consisted of going to Vlad's and trying to figure out what he was working on, and of course pushing on the bruise on her heart which still ached to love him.

Jazz sighed. She had talked to Pete a few times, he seemed to be a nice guy. She smiled wistfully. Maybe a nice guy is what she needed to get her mind off of Vlad.

"Yes," Jazz said ignoring the little voice in her head trying to remind her that she was expected at Vlad's mansion. "Of course I'll go on a date with you."

* * *

Vlad growled as he pushed away from the computer. He looked up at the clock and his scowl deepened. It was a little after eight in the evening, Jasmine should have called by now. He tapped his fingers on the counter. If he had her phone number, he would have called her, but garnering a way to contact Jasmine had escaped him.

He left his lab and walked to his study. He checked his phone logs but found that Jasmine's phone was unlisted. He sighed then sat down. It was better this way. It was better that she left him alone instead of bugging him. He needed to complete his work. He needed to rid himself of his obsession with her.

Vlad stood and paced then changed into his ghost form and flew from his home. He told himself that he just needed to check on her, to make sure she was all right. He'd never even let her know he was there. His suspicion was that she'd fallen asleep reading, it was a common habit with her, but he had to check or else he'd be unable to concentrate until she finally contacted him again. He began imagining finding her in a chair asleep, picking her up and tucking her into bed as he'd always done before, when finding her in such a state.

Jasmine's apartment was empty when he arrived. Vlad frowned. Nothing was disturbed. If she was taken against her will, then she hadn't been able to put up much of a fight. He flew out of the house, looked down the street and saw red.

There she was, his wife, yes, yes she was still his wife, walking hand in hand with some boy. A boy! She was smiling and laughing and the boy was looking at her adoringly. Vlad ground his teeth angrily. He watched as the boy walked Jasmine to her door then stopped and looked at her. They talked for a moment. The boy leaned in for a kiss and Vlad could take no more. He went inside Jasmine's apartment to wait.

* * *

Jazz had done her best to enjoy herself. Pete was very nice. He was funny and smart and was pursuing the same major as herself, Psychology. He made her feel so comfortable, that she almost confided in him about Vlad a few times.

She did her best not to think about Vlad, and for the most part was able to keep him in the shadows of her mind by telling herself she wasn't really out on a date, she was out with a friend.

It was walking home which was difficult. She and Pete obviously clicked. They got along well and she could tell he was pleased with how things went. Under other circumstances, Jazz would have been too, but instead she felt guilty and sad. She wished she had met Pete under different circumstances.

"So can I call you?" Pete asked as he stood with her at the door to her apartment.

"Sure," Jazz said softly as she fished a pen and paper out of her purse and wrote down her phone number.

"Thanks" Pete said as he took the paper from her fingers. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "I'll talk to you later then."

"Take care," Jazz said as she entered her apartment then closed and locked the door. She turned around and gasped as she put her hand to her throat. Vlad was standing in the middle of her living room glaring at her angrily.

"Vlad," she said breathlessly as she put her hand to her neck as she flushed guiltily. "You scared me. What are you doing here?"

Vlad looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "I was worried about you," he said smoothly. "You said you were going to call me…" His eyes glittered dangerously as he walked toward her.

Jazz resisted the urge to step back. She broke eye contact with him as she put her purse and keys down. "As you can see," she said almost shortly. "I'm fine."

"Who was that boy?" Vlad asked coolly as he moved closer. Jazz finally took a few steps back until she was against the wall.

"His name is Pete," Jazz answered as she locked eyes with Vlad. He stopped just barely an arms length away from her and she relaxed.

"Your date?" Vlad questioned.

Jazz looked down in shame. "Yes." She closed her eyes as he reached forward and lifted her chin. She held back the tears glittering in her eyes and sighed. She didn't want to look at him.

"Did you have a good time?" he asked gently.

"Yes," Jazz answered then looked into the Vlad's eyes. He didn't sound angry, but she could tell he was.

"And you let him kiss you?" Vlad asked as he focused his gaze on her lips. Before Jazz could answer, he moved forward and placed his mouth over hers. Her heart was thrumming in her ears and she moved forward to put her hands on his chest.

Jazz knew she shouldn't want this, that she would be better off and probably happier in the long run if she told Vlad to take a hike and pursued a relationship with Pete. Instead she let her lips cling to Vlad's as he pulled away.

"No," she said breathlessly. "I didn't." Vlad kissed her again, this time pushing her against the wall and pressing against her. He groaned as her lips parted beneath his, and then her hands moved from their spot on his chest and snaked up to pull his hair out of it's neat ponytail. He pulled away and looked into her sleepy eyes as she arranged his hair on his shoulders and smiled.

"Jasmine," he said shakily as he searched her face.

"Yes?" She asked softly as she continued to comb her fingers through his hair. She knew what drove him crazy. She also knew what would push him over the edge. The power was hers and she knew it.

"You should stop," he warned.

"No," Jazz answered as she continued to run her hands through his hair. She watched his face darken angrily and she was scared for a minute then suddenly he was lifting her in his arms. He carried her into the bedroom, kicked the door shut behind him and….

* * *

**And that…is all! Mua ha ha ha ha**

**Nightmares are on your head, Ayla :-)**

**Review now or I'll send Vlad after you!**


	12. Chapter 12

**This chapter makes me wince….it's jarring to me….you'll see why.**

Chapter Twelve

Jazz woke up to the ringing of her telephone. There were only a few people who it could be, Danny or her parents and occasionally Sam when Danny thought she was too mad at him to give him the information he wanted.

She reached over to her nightstand and took the phone off the cradle, opening one eye to peer at the clock. It was ten am, not too early for anyone to call. She cleared her throat and answered in her most cheerful voice.

"Hi Jazz…it's Pete," came the voice on the other end of the line. Jazz's eyes widened and she turned and looked briefly at the sleeping form of the man who she learned last night, was still her husband. The very person she wasn't supposed to love, who was supposed to help her get over him. Who was supposed to be letting her go, but obviously wasn't.

"Hi," Jazz said softly as she nervously brushed a nonexistent strand of hair behind her ear. She felt a hand on her back and she jumped.

"I had such a good time with you last night," Pete said, "That I was wondering if you wanted to go out again tonight. I know I'm a short notice kinda guy, but still I can hope."

"I'm sorry," Jazz said shakily. "I'm supposed to spend the evening with my family." Well it was not really that much of a lie. She close her eyes feeling wretchedly guilty.

"Oh," Pete responded in disappointment. "Maybe another time?" His voice changed to one of hopefulness.

"Sure," Jazz said then turned to look at Vlad, who was watching her with narrowed, angry eyes. She finished up her call quickly then wound herself in the sheet from her bed.

"I'm going to take a shower," she said stiffly.

"Jasmine," Vlad growled as Jazz ran. She locked the bathroom door behind her and took several deep breaths. She knew it was pointless to lock the door, locks meant nothing to Vlad, but normally he respected her privacy and a locked door was a signal that she needed to be alone, at least it was along time ago, in another life.

She turned on the water and decided that maybe she should run a bath instead. The longer she delayed facing Vlad, the better.

Oh what did she do? Why did she do it? What was wrong with her? What was she thinking? Okay she knew what she'd been thinking, but she wasn't thinking clearly. She loved tormenting Vlad, it was true. She loved that she was able to stir up his world and his emotions. She loved him when he was kind, but she knew deep down that he was not.

She climbed in the bathtub then closed her eyes, and put her fist in her mouth to muffle the sound of her sobs. It was all his fault. The power was ultimately his. He didn't have to confront her, his eyes filled with jealous anger. He didn't have to kiss her. She was the weak one, she was the victim. He was the one who was standing in her apartment. He was the one who was uninvited.

Unfortunately, she had to take responsibility for pushing him to the edge of his self control after he warned her. She had to admit she liked it. She liked the little bit of control she had over him, that she could make him passionate, tender, loving and caring, all the things he really wasn't.

A knock sounded on the door and Jazz jumped. She looked at the door nervously, but didn't answer. There was another knock. She could feel him standing on the other side of the door. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

"Jasmine," Vlad said very tenderly. "Can I come in?"

"No!" she yelled as she shivered despite the hot water in the tub and almost expected him to just walk through the door. He was honorable though, and didn't.

"I can hear you crying, Sweetheart," Vlad told her worriedly. "Why are you crying?"

"Just go away!" Jazz cried. "Just leave me alone!."

* * *

Vlad pressed his forehead against the door and sighed. He wasn't about to invade Jazz's space. He was already full of enough self loathing for his behavior. He shouldn't have come here last night. He shouldn't have kissed her. He shouldn't have let her push him over the edge of his own self control, but he loved her to distraction, he wanted her desperately and seeing her with that boy had filled him with such anger, such rage that he wanted to make her remember that she belonged to him. She was his. He did not want to let her go, despite everything he'd been trying to do for the past few months.

"Jazz," he said again as he smoothed his hand along the door. "Please."

"I said to go away, Vlad," came her angry response. "Go away and leave me in peace." He growled in frustration then looked around the room. He sighed and made the bed out of compulsion, then sat down on the edge for a moment.

Vlad was not a patient man. He was not used to waiting on anyone. He changed to his ghost form and left Jazz's apartment in a swirl of reddish smoke, not permanently, but so that he could change his clothes and shower. Proper grooming was very important to him, and if he was going to be strong in the face of his love for Jasmine, he would need armor. He felt enough off balance as it was.

* * *

It was sheer luck that moved Vlad to leave when he did. Not five minutes had passed on his departure when Danny appeared. He had called first, but received no answer. He called Jazz's cell with no answer, so he decided to just drop in, just to make sure she was all right.

"Hey Jazz," he called as he stood at her closed bedroom door. "Are you still sleeping?" He opened the door a crack then peeked in. Her room was empty. He thought that maybe she went for a walk, to the store, or even out with a friend, but then he heard the sobs coming from the bathroom and his heart froze.

"Jazz," he said as he knocked on the door. He heard his sister gasp. "Are you okay in there?"

"Danny?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Visiting," Danny answered. "I did try to call, but you didn't answer."

There was a pause then she said, "Go wait for me in the living room. I'll be out in five minutes, we need to talk."

"Okay," Danny said then sighed, he was probably going to be given an earful, but he also wanted to know why she'd been crying. Was she okay? Had something happened? Had Vlad contacted her?"

Jazz appeared in her living room and sat in the chair across from him, her eyes were red with tears, her short hair still damp. She wore a pink sweater and grey sweat, and looked miserable. She stared at Danny thoughtfully for a moment, then down at her hands.

"What's going on?" Danny asked.

"I had a date last night," Jazz answered.

Danny's eyebrows raised in interest then he frowned. "It didn't go so well?"

Jazz sniffed. "It went wonderfully. Pete, that's his name, he's really nice. We have the same major. I like him."

Danny nodded his head. "That's great Jazz." He paused not knowing what to say next.

"But there's a problem," Jazz continued. She looked toward the window and sighed.

"Have you ever loved someone you're not supposed to, Danny?" she asked in a haunted voice. "And it just put limits on everything you do? Because you're so consumed by your feelings, that you're not supposed feel, that it just tears you into a million pieces?"

Danny looked at Jazz and started to shake his head. He didn't know what to say, and more over he didn't know how it all applied to Jazz. He watched her wipe tears from her face and he felt so sad for her.

"So you're saying you love Pete?" Danny asked feeling more than clueless.

"I wish I did," Jazz laughed bitterly. She stood and walked to the window. "I would if I could, but there's a wall in my heart. I've been trying to escape for months now, and I just can't, Danny. I'll start thinking that everything is going to be okay, but then I'm just sucked right back in."

"Are you?" Danny started then took a deep breath. "Are you talking about Vlad?" Jazz didn't answer, she just stood with her back to him, and that was enough of an answer. He rubbed the back of his neck not sure what to say.

"Jazz?" Danny finally asked. He felt at such a loss. What had that jerk done? Had he been contacting her? He was supposed to leave her alone.

"It's not his fault," Jazz said quickly, turning to look at him worriedly. "Not entirely. I'm the one who contacted him. I'm the one who wouldn't leave him alone. It's not his fault, Danny."

Danny was seriously confused. "What happened?" he asked.

Jazz sighed. "He came here last night, because he was worried about me. I hadn't called like I told him I would." She looked at Danny guiltily. "I've been visiting him. He hasn't wanted me to, but I…I don't know, it's like I couldn't stay away." She turned back to the window and hung her head.

"Jazz," Danny started. He was horrified. What had his sister been doing? He watched her standing with his back to him and frowned. He was happy that at least Vlad hadn't wanted to see her, but he was still to blame for allowing her to visit him. He was supposed to cut ties completely, as their mother had demanded.

He, well everyone had worried about her return to Madison simply because they knew Vlad was there. No one would have thought that Jazz would visit him on her own. The news was stunning.

"So," Jazz continued. "I had a date with Pete, and I completely forgot that I told Vlad I'd be calling." She sighed. "Which really was a good sign."

"Yeah," Danny agreed.

"But Vlad was worried, so he came to check on me," Jazz continued. "And he saw Pete walk me to my door."

"Uh oh," Danny said.

"He was jealous," Jazz laughed. "And then…and…well, he just left a little before you came."

Danny's heart constricted in his chest. "Y-you mean you were up all night arguing with him?" he asked hesitantly.

Jazz shook her head. "No," she answered. "And I found out something else."

"What?" Danny asked, not sure he wanted to know.

"He never filed the papers. We're still married. I was really happy." She paused. "Until I woke up that is. Pete called and I realized what I'd done." She turned and looked at Danny who was now sitting forward with his hands in his hair.

"You mean," Danny started. "You and Vlad…you…" he trailed off and looked at Jazz.

She sighed. "Well we didn't stay up all night playing checkers," she answered dryly. Danny opened and closed his mouth, not sure what to say.

"What do you want me to do Jazz?" He finally asked. "Do you want me to confront him? I'll kick his butt for you if you want."

"No," Jazz said as she covered her face with her hands. "I want you to just leave him alone."

Danny shook his head. "You know, if Mom and Dad find out…"

Jazz turned and looked at Danny angrily. "And they won't find out if their not told, Danny."

"What do you want me to do?" he repeated.

"Can you take me home?" Jazz asked. "Just for the weekend? Bring me back Monday morning? I don't want to stay here."

"Sure," Danny said. He stood and put his hand on Jazz's shoulder and she turned and put her arms around him.

"I wish you could understand, Danny!" she sobbed. "You must hate me."

Danny sighed as he returned Jazz's embrace. "I don't hate you, and I do understand." Jazz pulled away and wiped her eyes.

"I'm just going to put a bag together," she said unable to look into Danny's worried eyes. "I'll be right back."

"Okay," Danny replied then sat down and watched her go, feeling extremely sad for his sister, and very angry at Vlad. He was shocked too. He didn't think Jazz ever wanted to see Vlad again. It was strange to him that she did, but then again, he knew what her memories were like, and he supposed he could understand.

"Okay," Jazz said as she came back into the living room. "Let's go." Danny nodded, changed to his ghostly form, put his arm around his sister's waist and flew her home.

* * *

Vlad returned to Jazz's apartment with a plan. He wanted her back. He wanted her to come home. He'd give her anything she wanted. All his plans for his current project would be destroyed. They could go away together, maybe back to San Tropez. He'd help her get her education, if that's what she wanted. Nothing would be beyond her reach. He felt joyous and hopeful, only Jazz could make him feel his way.

"Jasmine," Vlad called as he appeared in her apartment. He changed back to his human form as he walked toward the bathroom. The door was closed. Was she still in there? He frowned.

"Sweetheart?" he called. There was nothing but silence. He frowned then jiggled the handle and opened the door. The room was empty.

"Jasmine?" Vlad said as he turned and walked into the bedroom. He found that room empty as well. He sighed deeply. Where had she gone? He looked at the bed and frowned. Propped against one of the pillows was an envelope with his name on it.

He stood and stared at it for a long time before finally picking it up. He sat down on the end of the bed, broke the seal and read the letter:

Vlad,

It was all a mistake. Last night should never have happened.  
I'm sorry. It was all my fault.  
I should have listened to you in the first place, and stayed away.  
Please forgive me, but I can't do this.  
I don't want to see you again.  
I want you to file those papers like you were supposed to.  
Please respect my wishes.

Jazz Fenton

Vlad let the letter slip from his fingers and flutter to the floor. The sense of rejection tore at his heart, filling him with a pain he hadn't felt since he was very young, resurrecting feelings he though he released long ago, buried deeply in his angry heart.

"Oh Jasmine," he said as he bent forward, put his face in his hands…and wept.

* * *

**Bleh! You can all kick me now. Sorry it's so short and sappy and not very resolutive. Now that this story is mine again, I'm struggling with it's direction. This really doesn't make me happy, and yet I'm compelled to write it.**

**  
I have finally figured out the allure of the pairing…it's the whole Phantom of the Opera mystic….Think about it…. Just replace "Oh Jasmine", with "Oh Christine." I didn't even realize the connection until that last line. Weird huh?**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Jazz! Sweetie!" Maddie exclaimed as Jazz walked into the kitchen. "When did you get home?" She looked Jazz over quickly then pulled her daughter into her arms. Jazz returned the embrace with a sigh.

"I just got here," Jazz answered as she buried her face in her mother's shoulder and took a deep breath.

Maddie closed her eyes and rocked her daughter from side to side. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Not that I'm not happy to have you home."

Jazz took a deep breath. "I was feeling homesick," she answered, feeling wretched for lying to her mother about something so simple. She lied enough to cover for Danny, she hated doing much more than she had to.

"My poor baby," Maddie said soothingly. She pulled away and looked at Jazz's sad face and frowned.

"Have you eaten?" she asked. Jazz shook her head. Maddie sat her down at the table and made her a sandwich. She looked around warily then fished a tin from one of the cabinet and gave Jazz a few ghost shaped cookies. Jazz smiled.

"So how are you're classes?" Maddie asked as she sat at the table with Jazz.

"Good," Jazz said as she picked off the crust on her sandwich. She frowned. "But, I-I was thinking of, at the end of the semester, transferring to Amity State University. I just feel so lonely."

"Oh Jazz," Maddie said and sighed. "You know you're welcome to come home anytime you want." Jazz nodded her head and sniffled.

"Why are you crying, Sweetie?" Maddie asked worriedly. "Has something happened?"

Jazz shook her head and wiped away her tears. "I'm just homesick," she answered. Maddie put her hand on Jazz's and sighed. "We'll lets just have a nice visit and when you go back, you'll feel much better." They both jumped as a boom, a crash and the sound of Jack grumbling was heard from down in the lab.

"You're father is working on a new invention," Maddie laughed. Jazz smiled, she picked up the two ghost cookies her mother gave her.

"I'll go check on him," Jazz said.

Maddie raised her eyebrows. "And distract him from destruction with cookies?"

"Yeah," Jazz laughed then headed down in the lab. Maddie sat for a moment then listened.

"Jazzy Pants!" Jack exclaimed and Maddie laughed. She looked in the door way of the kitchen to see her son, standing with a deep frown on his face.

"I'm going to meet with Sam and Tuck," he said.

"Have you seen your sister?" Maddie asked. "She came to visit for the weekend."

"Yeah," Danny said as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I talked to her when she first got here."

"Tell Sam and Tuck hello for me," Maddie said happily. Danny nodded his head and left.

* * *

"Whoa," Sam said to Tucker as Danny sat down with them at the Nasty Burger. "Someone's in a bad mood."

Danny looked at Sam in surprise then realized he was scowling. "I'm not in a bad mood," he denied. "I'm just worried about Jazz."

"You're always worried about Jazz," Tucker teased.

Danny looked at the techno geek for a moment. "I went to check on her this morning and she asked me to bring her home."

"How did you explain that one to Maddie?" Sam asked. Danny just shrugged his shoulders.

"She was crying when I got there. She um.." Danny paused. "She and Vlad…."

"No!" Sam said in shock. "He's been bugging her?"

Danny shook his head and looked down at his hand folded on the table. He very calmly told them the story. Both Tucker and Sam sat listening with their mouths hanging open.

"I don't know how to help her," Danny finished on a sigh. "She's very upset."

"Dude," Tucker said in shock. "That's terrible!"

"She needs someone she can talk to," Danny started then looked at Sam. "A female perspective."

Sam's eyes widened. "What are you looking at me for?" she asked in alarm.

"I was hoping you'd talk to her," Danny said hopefully.

"Oh yeah ask Sam. She has the right chromosomes so naturally she'll be able to talk to Jazz," she said almost sarcastically. "I'm not good at that kind of stuff."

"Please?" Danny asked as he gave Sam his patented puppy dog look.

"No," Sam said as she folded her arms across her chest and turned her head away.

* * *

Vlad growled in anger as he sat in his lab, trying to focus on the intricate wiring on one of his ghostly devices. He couldn't get his fingers to stop shaking, his attention was distracted. He was in an extremely bad mood.

He dropped the tools he was using and walked across the lab, where on a table he had an array of test tubes. He ran his fingers along them for a moment. Each one contained a sample of Jazz's DNA all but one of them were replications. He sighed and picked up one of the tubes. He took it across the room and put the tube in a magnifying device.

The cells had divided, the experiment looked as though it could actually succeed. He frowned then checked the other three tubes. One of the two tubes showed no signs of activity at all. He cradled the failed test tube in his hand and sighed sadly. He disposed of the failed experiment sadly then returned to contemplate the ones which were thriving.

His intentions were to make a simple clone of his Jasmine. One that would never leave him, or could be taken away. She would be his, and live only for him. He sighed heavily as he looked at the remaining test tubes. If he made a clone, it would surly look like her, but it wouldn't be her.

The clone would have her eyes, but would those eyes have the fire behind them, which captured his heart. Would it be pushy, brave, smart and funny? No, the clone would only be his Jasmine outwardly.

If it was easy to replicate the traits he loved in Jasmine, he would have done it long ago, with Maddie. It was easier cloning, or well trying to clone Danny, his powers and slight difference in DNA sequencing made it difficult to make a stable clone. His personality didn't matter so much to Vlad, it was his power which held his interest

He knew in his heart there could be only one Jasmine. He could not recreate her in a test tube. Vlad ran a hand through his hair and gathered together the tubes. He disposed of them quickly, before he could change his mind. Then walked back to the table for the remaining tube, the original DNA.

Quickly, as so not to compromise the integrity of the sample, he stored it away. He had an idea. He couldn't put it into motion until he spoke to Jasmine again, and oh yes. He would speak to her again, even if he had to drag her kicking and screaming from the Fenton house himself.

He quickly changed to his ghost from then opened the ghost portal. He flew through with the intent on issuing a few orders to those under his, err employ.

* * *

Sam looked down the hall at Danny and Tucker as she walked slowly toward Jazz's room. Danny waved at her to keep walking. She gave him a look of irritation then stopped and knocked on Jazz's door.

"Come in," Jazz said then smiled as Sam opened the door.

"Hi," Sam started nervously as she looked at Jazz who was sitting on her bed with books spread out around her. "Am I disturbing you?"

"No," Jazz answered. "Come sit down." Sam nodded her head then sat on the edge of Jazz's bed.

"Did you need to talk about something?" Jazz asked.

"Not really," Sam answered nervously.

Jazz gave Sam a tired look. "Danny sent you in here didn't he?"

"Yeah," Sam replied.

Jazz shook her head in exasperation. "And he told you the whole story?"

"Yeah," Sam answered.

"The jerk," Jazz growled. "But then what can I expect. You are a third of his brain…" She looked at Sam and blinked for a moment.

"I'm sorry Sam I didn't mean to sound so mean," she apologized.

Sam shook her head. "No," she replied. "It's true. I don't mind." Jazz nodded her head and closed her note book.

"So you're probably all wondering if I've lost my mind and how long all of this has been going on," she stated.

"Well yeah," Sam said as she laughed.

"It's not Vlad's fault. Really. He was being good. He left me alone," Jazz started as her cheeks flushed "But, I couldn't stop thinking about him. I couldn't escape the memories of my time with him. He was very kind to me Sam." Jazz looked at the doubtful expression on Sam's face.

"Really," Jazz told the Goth girl. "He treated me very well. I don't think he ever wanted to love me, but he does." She smiled softly. "He can be very gentle and sweet, and extremely generous."

Sam looked at Jazz doubtfully. "Are we talking about the same Vlad?" she asked. "The same Vlad who has tried to kill Danny on multiple occasions. Has tried to kill your dad. The same Vlad who has tried to take over the world on more than one occasion. Vlad the black hearted scoundrel? That Vlad?"

Jazz closed her eyes. "He hardly seems that way to me Sam. He rarely if ever shows me his dark side."

"That's hard to believe." Sam said dryly.

Jazz bit her lip as she looked at Sam. "I know I shouldn't care about him. I know I should despise him. But I love him." She covered her face with her hands. "And I hate myself for it….because I want to be with him, but I know I shouldn't."

"So what are you going to do?" Sam asked worriedly.

Jazz took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes. "When this semester is over," she began. "I'm going to move back home. I thought maybe I could go to Amity State for awhile, but…"

"What?" Sam asked.

"I think I need to go far away. Far far away so that I'm not tempted to contact him. So that he can't just come see me whenever." Jazz rattled off quickly.

"That makes sense," Sam said.

"I-I don't know if I can ever really escape him Sam," Jazz told her softly.

Sam sighed. "Do you think you could have a future with him?" she asked, knowing Danny would kill her if she pushed Jazz in Vlad's direction. "I mean you seem to make him a better person."

Jazz shook her head. "I can't see a future with or without him." Sam shook her head, unsure of what to say.

"The thing is, he's been abandoned by everyone he's ever lo…" Jazz stopped and closed her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked worriedly.

"Can…can you leave me alone?" Jazz asked Danny's closest friend. "I-I really need to be alone right now." Sam nodded her head and left Jazz's room. Closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Jazz waited a moment then fished her cell phone out of her pocket. She stared at it for several minutes. She wondered what he would do if she called him. Would he be angry at her? Would he push her away?

She dialed the number then paused and closed the phone before hitting send. Calling him wouldn't solve anything. She's have to wait until Monday. She'd go see him first thing when she got home.

* * *

The moment Jazz arrived home on Monday morning, the spy Vlad had sent to watch her apartment sped off to alert his master he was back. Unfortunately another ghost hybrid was aware of the ghosts speeding direction and followed him stealthily

Danny followed the creature all the way into Vlad's house. Vlad was busy typing away on a laptop when the ghost told him that. "Mrs. Masters has returned." Danny wanted to gag. He waited for the ghost to leave before making himself visible.

"I thought you were going to leave my sister alone, Vlad," Danny said angrily. Vlad turned and looked at Danny calmly, as if he'd know the other ghost hybrid was there all along.

"Daniel," Vlad said dryly. "I should have known."

"Leave Jazz alone," Danny growled. Vlad folded his arms across his chest and looked at Danny for a few moments.

"And if I don't? You're going to what? Kill me? I don't think that would make your sister very happy," Vlad said smoothly.

"She'll get over it," Danny replied his eyes glowing intensely as he stared Vlad down.

Vlad looked at Danny tiredly. "Is that it? Is that what you came to tell me? " he asked sarcastically. "Or is there something more?"

"Just leave her alone, Vlad." Danny repeated. "She's been through enough. She deserves to be left alone and happy."

"How do you know I cannot make her happy," Vlad asked his voice betraying his hopefulness. "Have you asked yourself that? Maybe she's not happy now, Daniel."

Danny rolled his eyes. "How are you going to make her happy, Vlad? What can you give her? I thought you and my mother already had this discussion. Do I need to bring her back into it?"

"I did not go after Jasmine," Vlad said defensively. "She came to me."

"Because she's confused!" Danny yelled in outrage. "And you took advantage of her." Vlad turned his back on Danny. The look of sadness he'd witnessed on Vlad's face made Danny feel bad for the man, almost.

"Have you ever stopped to consider that she took advantage of me?" Vlad asked angrily.

"No," Danny replied coldly. "And don't try to tell me she has. I know everything Vlad."

"She told you?" Vlad said in confusion.

"No," Danny replied smugly, enjoying having the advantage over Vlad. "But I have my ways of finding things out."

Vlad looked at Danny for a moment then asked, "What do you want from me?"

"Leave Jazz alone!" Danny answered in exasperation. "I know you intended on showing up the moment she got home. I followed your ghostly spy here."

"And what can you do, that could possibly induce me into giving in to your request, Daniel?" Vlad questioned as he turned back to Danny, his eyes filled with anger and pain.

Danny raised his eyebrows and walked toward Vlad, he was almost as tall as the millionaire now, and just as intimidating, especially in his ghostly form. Vlad stood his ground.

"I tell my parents what you've been doing," Danny threatened. "And you will suffer Fenton retribution the likes of which you could never imagine, Plasmius. Jazz is not for you! Leave her the hell alone!"

"And somehow, that doesn't frighten my Daniel," Vlad said sarcastically. "You'll simply have to do better than threatening me with your parents."

Danny looked at Vlad thoughtfully. "Fine then," he began. "You leave me no choice."

"No choice?" Vlad asked. "Your choice is to let your sister decide what he wants."

"I will out us both," Danny threatened as he ignored Vlad's statement. "You see I really don't have much to lose, if the world finds out about my secret. I'm safe. I'm viewed as a hero, a protector. You on the other hand, are reviled, imagine what would happen if everyone found out your identity? What would happen if everyone found out how you managed to amass your glorious fortune?"

Vlad opened and closed his mouth, searching for a reply, but he knew when he was at a loss, there was nothing more to be said.

"I'm sure the Guys in White would love to interrogate you Plasmius. Hold you in a tiny little ghost proof cell for the rest of your life," Danny continued. "And you'd never be able to harm my sister again."

"I've never harmed your sister," Vlad denied tiredly.

"The hell you haven't!" Danny yelled. "Stay away from her Vlad! This is the last time I warn you."

Both enemies stood, staring each other down, neither willing to give in, but at last Vlad stepped back. He had too much to lose to risk calling Danny's bluff.

"Fine," he said. "Your demands will be met. Now get off my property. I don't want to see you here again."

"As long as you stay away from my family," Danny replied. "You can be assured that you won't." Vlad turned his back to Danny and walked away. Danny waited a moment then flew back to Jazz's apartment to check on her.

Vlad clenched his fists as he walked down to the lab. He didn't want to give up on Jasmine, and he wasn't going to. He was just going to have to find a way around Daniel and his threats.

Once he was in his lab he called up a year old file from his computer. He looked at it for a long time. He had dropped the plans once Jazz entered his heart, but now, now he needed to take them up again if he wanted to keep her.

* * *

Somewhere in the deep recesses of the Ghost Zone, Clockwork sighed and shook his head. "Everything would have been so much easier for you Daniel, had you simply listened to me.

Clockwork turned and looked as two figures emerged from the shadows. He sighed deeply, not wanting to deal with the Observants. He disliked their demands, but unless they gave him time. He smiled slightly, of course, he had all the time in the world.

* * *

**Wow an update on this story? Shocking I know. Thanks to Ayla for helping me on this one again.**

**Reviews?**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

If Jazz wasn't sure that Danny was keeping a close eye on her, she would have called Vlad the moment she returned home, but Danny lingered around her apartment and told her he was going to stay awhile, that he could afford to miss a few of his own classes in the interest of keeping his sister out of harms way. She knew she was going to have to be patient and wait for Danny to leave before venturing to see Vlad.

She hoped that he would forgive her, Vlad, not Danny. At the moment, Jazz didn't care so much what Danny thought, well that wasn't true, she loved Danny, she just didn't think he knew what was best for her.

Jazz took the break as an opportunity to call Vlad. She was waiting for him to answer when some sat down beside her. She looked up and into the face of Pete. She smiled at him shakily as she listened to the phone ring. Vlad's answering machine picked up and Jazz sighed heavily. She put the phone away and turned her attention to Pete.

"Hi Jazz," Pete said cheerfully. "Where were you all weekend? I tried to call and…"

Jazz looked at the boy thoughtfully. "I went home for the weekend," she told him.

"When did you leave?" Pete asked as he frowned and looked away thoughtfully.

"Saturday," Jazz answered. Peter shook his head like he was confused then smiled at Jazz.

"I need to get to class," Jazz told him as she picked up her book bag. Pete jumped up and opened his mouth then sighed. Jazz waited patiently for him to ask her out. She would turn him down and that would be the end of it.

"I'm having a hard time with Sociology," he started. "And I was wondering if maybe you'd meet me in the library later and help me study for the test." His expression was so full of hope that Jazz couldn't refuse.

"I'm free at four," she said, she was going to drive to Vlad's house and hoped he'd see her.

"Great!" Pete replied happily. "I'll meet you at the library entrance a little after four." Jazz nodded her head in agreement then told him good bye and walked away. She was aware that he kept his eyes on her until she was out of sight. Jazz wasn't sure if she was unnerved or flattered by his attention.

She stopped and slid her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed Vlad's number again. The answering machine picked up and she sighed, debating on if she should leave a message or let things go for now. Something in the pit of her stomach was bothering her, she decided it was just that she had made her decision and now she hoped he wouldn't turn her away.

* * *

Jazz was late to the library to meet with Pete. She'd almost forgotten, so she was a little late. 

"I thought you were going to stand me up," he said as they sat together.

"I'm sorry," Jazz said. "I almost forgot. I've had a tough day." Pete just looked at her in dismay, and then he did his best to entertain her. Jazz relaxed a little. Pete made her comfortable and happy, but she couldn't see loving him, in fact she couldn't see loving anyone like she loved Vlad, she closed her eyes and sighed.

"What's wrong?" Pete asked as he put down his pen and watched Jazz's sad expression.

"It's nothing," Jazz answered as she shook her head.

Pete sighed and leaned his head on his hand. "It has to be something," he said as he watched her. "Or you wouldn't look so sad."

Jazz chewed on her lip a moment and debated on whether or not she should tell Pete any part of her situation. He would probably start asking questions she couldn't answer.

"Come on Jazz," he chided. "If anything I'm your friend. I'm not going to judge you or anything. You kinda look like you could use a friend right now."

Jazz sighed and looked into his eyes. He looked earnest enough. She cleared he throat and considered how she could word things.

"Last year," she began, and Pete leaned forward in interest. "I was involved with a friend of my parents"

"Did he break your heart?" Pete asked sadly as he took her hand. Jazz pulled her hand away and looked down uncomfortably.

"No," she answered. "The problem is that my family doesn't approve of him. He's old enough to be my father and…"

Pete sat back in his chair. "And you're in love with him," he stated.

"Yes," Jazz admitted. It felt very good to say it to someone. "I love him very much, but my family's right. He's not good for me…"

"Why?" Pete asked. "He's not a criminal or crazy psychopath is he?"

Jazz almost laughed. "Well, lets just say he's not really a very nice person," she told Pete. "But I bring out a good side in him. He loves me too…"

Pete sighed heavily. "Then you should be together. If you love each other, and he's not abusing you in some way, if he makes you happy, who cares what your family thinks. You have to live your life Jazz, not them."

"But it's so much more complicated than that," Jazz told him. "He and I just, shouldn't be together…But.."

"Jazz," Pete said tiredly. "You are really, really smart. So be smart and go after what you need."

"I don't know if I can," Jazz cried. Pete patted her back and shook his head.

"Jazz, I like you. Find out if things are going to work out with you and this guy. You owe it to yourself…and any guys you might date in the future."

Jazz looked at the sad look on Pete's face and frowned. "I'm so sorry," she said.

Pete smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, those are the breaks. I'm used to it."

He walked Jazz to her car and put out his hand. "Friends?" Pete asked.

"Sure," Jazz answered. Pete pulled her into a tight hug and Jazz returned the embrace reluctantly.

"If this guy doesn't work out," Pete told her. "Give me a call ok?"

"Okay," Jazz said softly. Pete smiled at her sadly, stuck his hands in his pockets and walked away.

* * *

Jazz started her car and was about to drive to Vlad's house when a voice beside her asked, "Who was that?" 

She squeaked as her brother appeared beside her. "Danny!" she yelled. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry," Danny replied.

"Are you spying on me?" Jazz asked angrily. Now she couldn't go see Vlad. She was frustrated.

"I was just making sure you were okay," Danny said. "I called your cell phone, but there was no answer. I was worried."

Jazz pulled into the driveway of her apartment, turned of her car then looked at Danny and sighed. "I'm all right Danny," she told him. "Really."

Danny smiled at Jazz, then asked teasingly, "Who's the guy?"

"A friend." Jazz answered shortly.

"A boyfriend?" Danny asked almost hopefully.

"If I told you yes, would you leave me alone?" Jazz asked in irritation.

"Jazz," Danny started. "I just want to keep you safe."

She gripped the steering wheel tightly and closed her eyes. "Safe from who? Vlad?"

"Yes," Danny answered.

"I don't need you to," Jazz told him. "I don't need you spying on me or in my hair all the time. Danny, I need you to leave me alone!"

"And how do I know you're not going to go running to see Vlad?" Danny asked. Jazz put her head on the steering wheel. She didn't want to tell Danny that she had changed her mind…again, this time permanently. She was sure of what she wanted, but wanted to wait to talk to Vlad before informing anyone one else.

"Just go home, Danny," Jazz told him tiredly.

"Fine," Danny said. "If you need me…"

"I won't!" Jazz growled as she left the car and stalked into her apartment. Danny sighed then left Jazz alone, deciding it was better not to push her too far.

* * *

Jazz tried to call Vlad several times, but he never answered the phone. She left one message for him, to please contact her. She stopped by his house, but there was never an answer. She finally called the corporate office of Vladco., and was told that Vlad had instructions that no one should disturb him. She pulled rank and told the woman she was his wife, but the woman told her she had her orders. 

She spent most nights in tears. Her grades began to suffer. She missed him desperately and felt like a fool for pushing him away. Jazz wondered if she had lost her mind, she needed help, but more than that she needed him.

Eventually she decided she was going to talk to Vlad, even if she had to camp out on his front step for the next week. She had to admit she was getting worried. Vlad had opened up to her, came to her for the first time instead of her having to chase him down, and she pushed him away, now she was worried that he'd close her out forever.

"Oh Vlad," she said as she sat on his door step and put her head in her hands. "What have I done?" What would she do if he wouldn't forgive her? What if he never consented to seeing her again? She didn't know if she could go on normally.

Jazz took a deep breath, scrubbed her face with her hands then turned and looked at the door. She gasped as she noticed the feet beside her. Italian leather loafers, black slacks. She looked all the way up and into the amused eyes of Vlad.

"Jasmine," he said as he raised his eyebrows in a curious expression.

"Vlad," She replied, trying not to smile. He cleared his throat and looked across the landscape.

"What are you doing here?" he asked coolly.

"Waiting for my husband," Jazz answered as she watched Vlad's face.

"Really?" he asked as he looked back down at Jazz, a small smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.

"Yes," Jazz answered. "And I'm afraid that I've really messed things up with him. I was stupid and confused, so I pushed him away when all he offered me was his love, and I'm scared I've lost him forever."

"Maybe you have," Vlad said as he put his hands behind his back and looked again across the landscape. Jazz blinked away the tears in her eyes.

"Do you think he can ever forgive me?" She asked shakily. Vlad sat down beside her and took a deep breath.

"I don't know, Jasmine," he began. "It depends on many things."

"What?" Jazz asked softly as she resisted the urge to touch him. He turned and looked at her, searching her face.

"Can you forgive me?" he asked as he took her hand. "My precious Jasmine?"

"For what?" Jazz questioned as she swallowed hard.

"Everything," Vlad said as he looked at her hand in his. "For kidnapping you, for drugging you, for letting you fall in love with me, for falling in love with you. Half of those are unforgivable offenses my love."

"I can forgive you," Jazz told him. "Just don't push me away." He pulled her into his arms and they both sighed as he held her, rocking her for awhile.

Vlad closed his eyes as he held Jazz. He'd been too busy to realize she'd been trying to reach him, he wished he'd known sooner, it would have saved them both so much suffering. He moved away and looked into her eyes.

"Why are you crying?" he asked softly as he wiped away her tears with his thumb.

"I'm not crying," Jazz answered as she sniffled. Vlad smiled then tilted her face so he could kiss her. She sighed against his lips as she wrapped her arms around him.

Vlad closed his eyes and tried to keep from trembling. He had questions to ask her, and he couldn't count on her not changing her mind and running away again until she answered them. There was the added threat of Danny and her parents. There was no way Jack, Maddie and Danny would accept that he was Jazz's choice.

"I love you," Jazz said as they pulled apart and she looked in to his eyes. He sighed heavily then looked away. Jazz swallowed hard as she reached around and freed his hair from the band that held it back. He gave her an amused look and she smiled hopefully at him.

"I love you too," He told her almost reluctantly, and she smiled in relief, then shivered as he ran his fingers, beneath her shirt and along her ribs.

"You'd think anything else was possible," He chided.

"I don't know," Jazz answered shakily, as she fanned his hair around his shoulders. "But your hair is longer than mine."

Vlad frowned as he reached up and ran his fingers through Jazz's short locks. "It's my fault," he told her. "If I hadn't been so selfish. If I hadn't kidnapped you. If I hadn't been trying to keep myself from being so deeply in love with you…"

Jazz put her hands on his lips and shook her head. "That's the past now," she told him as she ran her fingers through his hair again, smiling as he shivered.

"I can cut mine," he said huskily. "We'll be even."

"Don't you dare," Jazz told him fiercely. "I love your hair."

Vlad chuckled slightly as he pulled her into his lap. "I hadn't noticed," he told her dryly and she smiled happily as he submitted himself to Jazz's attentions. She sweetly caressed his face as though she was memorizing it, she ran her fingers through his hair, kissed his nose, tickled his goatee, smoothed his eyebrows, traced his ears and kissed him over and over again. Vlad didn't fight the warm feelings coursing through his heart as he would have before, but he understood now that Jasmine was his biggest weakness, there was no use fighting her anymore, he was hers.

"Is it okay if I come home?" she finally asked as she traced his jaw line with one fingertip. "I'm very homesick."

"I don't know," Vlad answered honestly. "We have a lot of complications to deal with, Sweetheart." Jazz groaned and buried her face in his neck.

"Can't we just run away?" she asked as her lips brushed against his skin, making him feel strangely giddy. "Let's go live in St. Tropez."

Vlad chuckled and tightened his arms around her, like he was afraid she was going to disappear. "I have a feeling they would hunt us down, even there," Vlad told her sadly.

"We'll go somewhere else," Jazz told him eagerly. "Anywhere."

"Do you really think you'd be happy abandoning your family, Jasmine?" Vlad asked gently. "I can't ask you to give them up." Jazz sighed in frustration.

"Then they're just going to have to accept that you're the person I want to be with."

"Perhaps," Vlad said thoughtfully. He knew he'd have to carry through with his plan to bring Danny down, it was the only way to keep the boy off his back, and hold on to the only person in the world he would ever love.

Jazz pressed her lips to his and he kissed her back passionately, eventually trailing kisses along her throat as she tilted her head back, whispering his name as she threaded her fingers through his hair. He eventually tore his lips away from her skin, then kissed her deeply before lifting her in his arms and carrying her into the house.

"Don't ever let me go," Jazz begged, and laid her head on his shoulders as he carried her up the stairs.

"Never again, woman," Vlad said fiercely.

**The End**


End file.
